New satellite to look for more planets
You might think finding more planets out there in space would be easy right? Just look for them. Not really. In the great scheme of things, planets are pretty small. So once you get to the outer reaches of even our solar system you have to look for the indicators of planets. Things like effects on orbits and something passing in front of something larger. Huh? When a planet passes in front of its star, well that can be seen. Kinda. If the planet is big enough.
Since the confirmation of the discovery of the first exoplanet in 1995, more than 200 other planets have also been found orbiting other stars. All of the planets found so far have been giant Jupiter-like gaseous planets tightly circling their parent stars. Most of these so-called "hot Jupiters" have been found using ground-based telescopes.
So, from SpaceFlightNow there is an article about an exciting satellite launch. COROT (not Borat … sheesh. Though launching him into space is a really good idea in my book).
COROT, which stands for Convection Rotation and planetary Transits, will spend the next two months undergoing a comprehensive test and checkout phase before it is declared operational in February or March.
Without the blurring effects of Earth’s atmosphere, COROT’s telescope could drastically reduce the threshold for detection of extrasolar worlds.
Scientists expect up to several dozen rocky planets a few times larger than Earth could be found during COROT’s mission. Astronomers also predict many more discoveries of large gas giants.
COROT could detect so many planets of this new type, together with plenty of the old type, that astronomers will be able to make statistical studies of them," said Malcolm Fridlund, ESA’s project scientist for COROT.
Of course even when COROT goes operational next year, I doubt we’ll have stunning pictures to see. It would be more like "see that flicker … that might be something". Oh well, just let me know when the Vulcan ambassador swings by for a chat.
Hat tip C|Net
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