About DBIS | Story archive | DBIS home
Proving Life on Other PlanetsAstronomers Search for Earth-Like Planets with Spacecraft TelescopeMarch 1, 2011 Astronomers are using a special spacecraft equipped with a unique telescope to identify planets outside our solar system. The objective is to find planets with qualities similar to those of Earth and perhaps able to harbor life. The telescope is a part of a photometer, which is used to measure the brightness of more than 700 stars and keep their light emissions in check. Data is collected from the information in these light emissions and may one day hint at Earth-like qualities. |
This div will be replaced
|
Science InsiderA KEPLER FINDING: The Kepler space telescope recently found six new planets around a star like our Sun. Astronomers nicknamed the planets ýmini Neptunesý because of their make-up. Five of these bodies lie closer to the sun-like star than Mercury is to our Sun. The sixth is a bit closer than Venus is to our Sun. The planets are estimated to be two to four times the size of Earthýs radius but consist of mostly gases. As determined from their apparent densities, four of the bodies seem to be made up of mostly helium and hydrogen, while the two closest to the star have higher densities, indicating a significant presence of water and less helium and hydrogen.
THE KEPLER PHOTOMETER: This is an instrument aboard the Kepler Telescope that is used to gather data from the group of stars that it is pointed at throughout the four year mission. In general a photometer is used to measure light intensity, in this case, the brightness of the stars. The Kepler photometer is actually a special type of telescope with a very wide field of view; to take up this entire field, it would require 30 Moons lined up in a row! The American Geophysical Union contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report. |
More information on this storyOn The Web: To Go Inside This Science: Peter Weiss |
