I snagged some of these artist-rendered pics of Extrasolar Planets from MSN, roughly 10 in all.  Some of these places are only a few light years away, but they’re just awesome.  51 Pegasi, the exoplanet in the first pic was actually the title of my third written short story back in 1996.  My third story ever.  You can see how one would be inspired to write about this kind of stuff.

51 Pegasi – (the first extrasolar star)

In a few centuries, mankind will be traveling to these places.  Look at the wonder below.  I live for this kind of fiction, I live for the magic.  This is why I write science fiction… This is what motivates me to stay within this genre.  Man’s domination of the stars!

Bellerphon – (51 Pegasi orbits this hot Jupiter-like star)

Epsilon Eridani – (only 10.5 light years away from Earth)

Planemos – (failed stars smaller than brown dwarfs)

SWEEPS-10 – (a zippy, fast orbiting planet with 10 hours in a year)

Upsilon Andromeda – (one half fire; the other half ice)

Primeval World – (supposedly the original and first Earthlike planet)

HD209458b – (a shrinking planet blown away by gales of stellar wind)

HD 189733b – (the first planet to have its own air “sniffed”)

Gliese 581 C – (smallest exoplanet ever yet 50% bigger than Earth)

There’s also the possibility that Gliese, five times more massive than us, has liquid water and life on it.  Anyway, now you know why I write 50% Science Fiction.  These images are Copyright NASA (JPL-Caltech), and you can find the original online article and learn more about each of them here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19588333/?GT1=10357&pg=1#Space_10ExtraSolarPlanets_070626  

Oh, there might be a story in the works about that crazy quick orbiting world, SWEEPS-10, as we speak.  So stay tuned…  😉

Lawrence R. Dagstine

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