PLANETPLANET

Welcome to my blog!  My name is Sean Raymond. I am an American astrophysicist living in Bordeaux (France). I study the formation and evolution of planetary systems (see my research website here).  In my research I ask questions like:

• Where did Earth’s water come from?
• Which extra-solar planetary systems are the best for life?
• Can moons have their own moons?
• Why does our Solar System appear to be different than planetary systems around other stars?

As a science fiction-loving astronomer, I enjoy blending imagination with science. On this blog I sometimes create my own planetary systems (see for example, the ultimate Solar System series). Sometimes I evaluate the scientific validity of well-known settings from movies or books (such as Pandora, Arrakis, and more). And sometimes I try to figure out what it would feel like on a different planet, for example by understanding the day-night cycles in multi-star systems or by getting a feel for the climates of exotic worlds. I also describe the ways that planets are destroyed, based on my own research (see here) and sometimes break out Dr Seuss-style astronomy poems.  I also just published a book of astronomy poems.

I am available to help out with ideas for books, movies, games or any other projects set on other planets.  My specialties are:

• World building: creating scientifically accurate settings for storytelling
• Understanding what it would feel like to live on other (custom-built) worlds. How would the stars move?  What would the weather be like?
• Testing the scientific validity of already-created settings.

Please contact me if you are interested in working with me. You can email me directly at rayray(dot)sean(at)gmail(dot)com.

Additional resources

• Amazon page of my new book, Black Holes, Stars, Earth and Mars: Astronomy poems for all ages
• Recordings of a couple of talks I’ve given: here is one for the general public and here is one for a somewhat technical audience.
• The MOJO videos on planet formation.
• My research website, which includes a list of my scientific publications and a CV
• Feel free to follow me on twitter (@sraymond_astro).