Just how representative are the 200+ planets we have now found around other stars? Consider that the most frequently used detection method involves radial velocity searches, looking for the tiny wobbles in a star’s motion that provide clues to the gravitational presence of a planet. It’s a solid technique that has found numerous ‘hot Jupiters,’ but the method introduces a bias for the kind of massive planets close to their star that create effects most visible from Earth.

And consider other factors: telescope time is sharply limited, and so are the swatches of sky most likely to be observed based on where the best telescopes are housed. We get more data on some exoplanetary systems, much less on others, and our view of what may be representative needs serious work.

Which is why the Systemic project was created, and why it is clearly gaining momentum. Regular Centauri Dreams readers know that Systemic is a simulation based on a dataset of 100,000 stars, one that can be accessed at the project’s Web site. What’s fascinating here is that whether you’re an astronomer or just an interested layman with a PC, you can play around with exoplanet properties like mass and vary the orbital parameters of hypothetical worlds to find a workable fit.

Make no mistake, these are simulated planet searches, but they perform a valuable function. Taking observational biases based on our methods into consideration, Systemic can get a better idea of how accurate our current search process is. “How good are we at detecting strange systems? Stars with three planets instead of two? Two instead of one? There are a lot of questions like this that can be addressed with a large-scale simulation,” said Greg Laughlin, who founded the project with a team of collaborators.

Consider this a renewed call for volunteers. You don’t need an expensive telescope to get involved, just an Internet connection and a desire to participate in a hunt that to my mind is one of the most exciting things going. Like SETI@home, which also uses the distributed power of legions of small computers around the world, Systemic relies on wide-scale involvement. The introductory phase it’s now in is a good time to learn to use the powerful software tools it offers.