The Nobel Prize in Physics was announced this morning, and goes to James Peebles (US, Princeton), Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz (both Swiss), for their work to change our perspectives on the universe. Peebles was one of the leading theoretical scientists who studied the cosmic microwave radiation left over from the Big Bang, and figured out the visible, ordinary matter we see is only about 5% of the universe. About 20% is determined to be dark matter, and some 75% dark energy (a type of 'anti-gravity' force pushing the universe outward - we have no clue what makes up dark energy, at the moment).
Mayor and Queloz changed our perspective on the universe by being the first to discover exoplanets. We now have observed thousands of other planets and solar systems, and some of our theories of planet and solar system formation have changed because of this discovery, such as why there are numerous examples of 'hot Jupiter' planets, where massive planets are formed near their host stars.
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