 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
In Search Of Rock Worlds
Paris - Mar 4, 2002 Astronomers from ESA's Member States are preparing to take part in a French-led mission to be the first to search for rocky planets around other stars. The mission, COROT, is an important stepping stone in the European effort to find habitable, Earth-like planets around other stars. COROT will do this by detecting planets as they pass in front of their parent stars, blocking some of the light. From the ground, the only planets detected around other stars have been giant gaseous worlds (Jupiter-like planets), over 10 times the diameter of the Earth. Above the distorting effects of the atmosphere, COROT will be the first spacecraft capable of finding worlds made of rocks, smaller than the gas giants but several times larger than the Earth, itself the biggest rocky planet in the Solar System. Such planets would represent a new, as yet undiscovered, class of world that astronomers believe exists. With COROT, astronomers expect to find between 10-40 of them, together with tens of new gas giants. In addition, COROT will also be used to detect subtle brightness changes caused by sound waves that resonate through the star. These create a 'starquake' that sends ripples across the star's surface, altering its brightness. The exact nature of the ripples allows astronomers to calculate the star's precise mass, age and chemical composition. The technique is known as asteroseismology and ESA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has been taking similar observations of the Sun for years. So, the COROT data is essential to compare the Sun with other stars. Instead of being an isolated national mission, ESA's involvement places COROT into the European framework to search for habitable planets. In particular, it will open the door to future missions, Eddington and Darwin. Eddington is a maturation of the techniques that COROT will pioneer. It will be a larger telescope, in a more distant orbit, capable of detecting worlds down to half the size of Earth, and it will search for planets around more than 500 000 stars. Eddington, unlike COROT, will also be able to detect habitable planets. In addition it will return precise asteroseismology for 50 000 stars. Launch is planned some time after 2007. ESA then plans to continue its search for Earth-like worlds into the second decade of the century with the launch of Darwin. This flotilla of eight spacecraft will take pictures of Earth-like worlds, allowing scientists to search for signs of life. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links COROT Mission Home SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Life Beyond Earth Lands Beyond Beyond - extra solar planets - news and science
Latching Onto Lichen
Moffett Field CA (SPX) Dec 06, 2005Bacteria can often survive the harsh conditions of space, and their toughness and adaptability have made them key candidates for the transfer of life between planets. But in a recent study by European scientists, lichen survived a trip in space even better than bacteria do. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
