Search to find planets outside our solar-system as small as Earth

[Michael.]

Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF)


(A Space telescope to find planets outside of our solar-system as small as Earth)


NASA has chosen two TPF mission architecture concepts for further study and technology development.


Infrared Interferometer (TPF-I):
Multiple small telescopes on a fixed structure or on separated spacecraft flying in precision formation would imitate a much larger, very efficient telescope.
The interferometer would utilize a technique called nulling to reduce the starlight by a factor of one million, thus enabling the detection of the very vague and faint infrared emission from the planets.


Visible Light Coronagraph (TPF-C): A large optical telescope, with a mirror three to four times larger and at least 100 times more precise than the Hubble Space Telescope, would collect starlight and
the very dim reflected light from the planets.


The telescope would have specific optics to downscale the starlight by a factor of one billion, thus enabling astronomers to detect the faint planets.


Currently TPF remains without an official launch date.


The expected theoretical launch dates are between 2014 - 2020.





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http://tinyurl.com/kwsshwj


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[Warrigal]

It's interesting to look out into space. We are a very inquisitive species.

However, many years ago I took an astronomy course that was run by the Government astronomer at the historic Sydney Observatory. At the end of the course he left us with this thought - there is nowhere in the universe within reaching distance for our species where we could survive for even one minute without a space suit. The lesson we should take from this knowledge is to take good care of the planet we're on now. He was a very wise old man.

 

[SifuPhil]

... At the end of the course he left us with this thought - there is nowhere in the universe within reaching distance for our species where we could survive for even one minute without a space suit. The lesson we should take from this knowledge is to take good care of the planet we're on now. He was a very wise old man.

Wise, perhaps, but not all-knowing.

Latest info says that there are 60 billion habitable planets in the Milky Way alone ... even if only 1% of those turn out to be feasible that's still over 60 million opportunities ...

"Reachable distance" is also a very relative term: reachable in a month? A year? A decade? A generation? Voyager 1, launched 35 years ago, is said to have passed outside of our solar system just last March.

Even when it comes from those with plenty of initials after their name I don't like to hear "there is nowhere else" said with such certainty. They DO NOT know, any more than you or I. It's all still a big, wonderful mystery.

 

[That Guy]