How did the Earth form?

How did our Earth come to be? What conditions make it a hospitable world? Could similar habitable planets exist around other stars?

In this episode of Chasing Starlight, ESO astronomer Suzanna Randall gives us the secret recipe to bake an Earth, and shows us how ESO telescopes are revealing what’s cooking around other stars.

1:03 Ingredients and how to combine them
3:51 Bake until crispy outside
4:45 Coat with an atmosphere and a magnetic field
6:16 Smash the cake
7:01 Experiment with other recipes

Credit:

ESO

Directed by: L. Calçada, M. Kornmesser
Hosted by: S. Randall
Written by: P. Freeman, D. Curic, E. Reiriz Martínez
Editing: M. Kornmesser, L. Calçada
Videography: A. Tsaousis
Animations & footage: ESO, M. Kornmesser, L. Calçada, ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), Y. Beletsky (LCO)/ESO), NASA/ESA/N. Risinger (skysurvey.org), Durham University/J. Kegerreis, Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/K. M. Gill, Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC) (Lead), Horace Mitchell (NASA/GSFC), Tom Bridgman (GST); NCSA, A. Kritsuk, M. Norman, A. Boley
Music: Johan B. Monell (www.johanmonell.com), Videvo
Web and technical support: G. Bazin, R Y. Shida
Scientific consultant: P. Amico
Promotion: O. Sandu
Filming Locations: ESO Supernova (supernova.eso.org)