Searching for Extrasolar planets
August 24th 2007 04:20
The search continues for other worlds in our quest to see if we are the only ones.
Land based visual observation has just about reached its limit given the Earth’s atmospheric aberrations limitations and the growing light pollution. Having dedicated spacecraft to do the search in space where the image resolution will be at its optimum and the spacecraft can monitor changes in stars luminosity continuously without the need to wait for nighttime observation, this is perhaps one of the crucial factor in maximizing the search and detection of distant planets.
NASA's new generation of planet hunting spacecraft called Kepler the mission will monitor 100,000 stars for at least four years beginning in 2008. Kepler will be using the transit method the satellite has a 37in. (95cm) telescope will search for Earth size planets. Scientists expect the mission to find about 50 of them among the hundreds of larger planets. Kepler will also determine the planet’s orbits to see how many might support life.
Corot launched from a French consortium was launched in October, 2006 the spacecraft will search for planets using 12in. 30cm space telescope and when hunt for rocky planets that have a greater mass than Earth mission scientists expect to find between ten and 40 planets during the 2.5 year mission.
Methods used in detecting extra solar planets planets.
Finding a planet with the distances involved is a real challenge considering that you are dealing with an extremely faint light object compared to its parent star. In addition to the intrinsic difficulty of detecting such a faint light source, the light from the parent star causes a glare that essentially blots it out. For those reasons, only a very few extra solar planets have been observed directly.
Instead, astronomers have generally had to resort to indirect methods to detect extra solar planets.
I mentioned that Kepler and Corot spacecraft use the transit method one of six other methods currently used to detect extra solar planets.
While the above method provides information about a planet's mass, this method can determine the radius of a planet. If a planet crosses (transits) in front of its parent star's disk, then the observed visual brightness of the star drops a small amount. The amount the star dims depends on its size and on the size of the planet. The spacecraft imaging telescope can measure minute fluctuations in the in light therefore the mass and velocity of a potential new planet can be calculated.
Image by NASA
Land based visual observation has just about reached its limit given the Earth’s atmospheric aberrations limitations and the growing light pollution. Having dedicated spacecraft to do the search in space where the image resolution will be at its optimum and the spacecraft can monitor changes in stars luminosity continuously without the need to wait for nighttime observation, this is perhaps one of the crucial factor in maximizing the search and detection of distant planets.
NASA's new generation of planet hunting spacecraft called Kepler the mission will monitor 100,000 stars for at least four years beginning in 2008. Kepler will be using the transit method the satellite has a 37in. (95cm) telescope will search for Earth size planets. Scientists expect the mission to find about 50 of them among the hundreds of larger planets. Kepler will also determine the planet’s orbits to see how many might support life.
control systems for Kepler search vehicle
Methods used in detecting extra solar planets planets.
Finding a planet with the distances involved is a real challenge considering that you are dealing with an extremely faint light object compared to its parent star. In addition to the intrinsic difficulty of detecting such a faint light source, the light from the parent star causes a glare that essentially blots it out. For those reasons, only a very few extra solar planets have been observed directly.
Instead, astronomers have generally had to resort to indirect methods to detect extra solar planets.
I mentioned that Kepler and Corot spacecraft use the transit method one of six other methods currently used to detect extra solar planets.
While the above method provides information about a planet's mass, this method can determine the radius of a planet. If a planet crosses (transits) in front of its parent star's disk, then the observed visual brightness of the star drops a small amount. The amount the star dims depends on its size and on the size of the planet. The spacecraft imaging telescope can measure minute fluctuations in the in light therefore the mass and velocity of a potential new planet can be calculated.
Image by NASA
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Comment by Louie
Climate Forum
Climate Red
randomthoughts
Phil's Wellness Tips
Great post thanks
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
Thank you for the comment. Yes indeed do we really want to know the answer is there life out there besides our own? Part of us needs to be connected or belong I guess it is part of our nature we don’t want to be alone in the universe.
For myself personally I think right now we are possible the only sentient beings. Perhaps eons ago before life started on Earth there may have been intelligent beings elsewhere in the universe perhaps they died out millennia ago and the whole process starts again certainly make for philosophizing conversations.