New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

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Galbally
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

Post by Galbally »

Here is some cool space mission news from ESA, the European Space Agency.



Scientists at work on COROT Mission To Find 'Earths'

Wednesday December 27, 2006

A satellite has been launched to seek out new Earth-like planets beyond the solar system and explore the interiors of stars.

The European Space Agency's (ESA's) COROT project, which blasted off from Kazakhstan, will put a telescope into orbit that is capable of detecting planets smaller than those currently known.

Some may be just a few times the size of Earth and rocky, rather than the larger, gaseous types.

"COROT will be able to find extra-solar planets of all sizes and natures, contrary to what we can do from the ground at the moment," researcher Claude Catala said.

"We expect to obtain a better vision of planet systems beyond the solar system, about the distribution of planet sizes.

"And finally, it will allow us to estimate the likelihood of there existing planets resembling the Earth in the neighbourhood of the sun or further away in the galaxy."

Planets have been found orbiting stars other than the sun but they have never been seen.



Instead, scientists have deduced they are there based on the stars' "wobble", the result of the gravitational pull of planets revolving around them.

COROT, a project of the French National Space Studies Centre (CNES) in which ESA is participating, will be able to detect smaller, rocky planets by measuring the drop in the stars' brightness caused when a planet passes in front of them.

In 2008, US space organisation NASA is due to launch the first space telescope capable of detecting Earth-sized planets in similar orbits to our own.
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"



Le Rochefoucauld.



"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."



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chonsigirl
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

Post by chonsigirl »

Wow, that is an interesting mission!
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Galbally
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

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Here is some info!




Artist's view of COROT satellite



COROT on its way



27 December 2006

Launched today from Kazakhstan, the unique astronomy mission COROT is on its way. Its twin goals are to detect exoplanets orbiting around other stars and to probe the mysteries of stellar interiors as never before. COROT is a French national space agency (CNES)-led mission to which ESA and European partners are adding a particularly strong international flavour.



COROT was launched by a Soyuz-Fregat from Baikonur in Kazakhstan at 15:23 CET. Status reports on the mission are available from CNES at: http://www.cnes.fr/corot_en/



What is COROT?



COROT stands for 'Convection Rotation and planetary Transits'. The name describes the mission's scientific goals. 'Convection and rotation' refer to the satellite's capability to probe stellar interiors, studying the acoustic waves that ripple across the surface of stars, a technique called asteroseismology. 'Transit' refers to the technique whereby the presence of a planet orbiting a star can be inferred from the dimming starlight caused when the planet passes in front of it. To achieve its twin scientific objectives, COROT will monitor some 120 000 stars with its 30-centimetre telescope.

COROT will lead a bold new search for planets around other stars. In the decade since the first discovery in 1995 of an exoplanet (51 Pegasi b), more than 200 other such planets outside our solar system have been detected using ground-based observatories. The COROT space telescope promises to find many more during its two-and-a-half-year mission, expanding the frontiers of our knowledge towards ever-smaller planets.

Many of the planets COROT will detect are expected to be 'hot Jupiters', gaseous worlds. An unknown percentage of those detected are expected to be rocky planets, maybe just a few times larger than the Earth (or smaller, even). If COROT finds such planets, they will constitute a new class of planet altogether.

While it is looking at a star, COROT will also be able to detect 'starquakes', acoustic waves generated deep inside a star that send ripples across its surface, altering its brightness. The exact nature of the ripples allows astronomers to calculate the star's precise mass, age and chemical composition.





COROT's European dimension



The COROT mission was first proposed by CNES back in 1996. A call for potential European partners was issued in 1999. CNES gave the green light to build the spacecraft in 2000 and is now leading the mission. Its international partners are ESA, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Brazil.

CNES is responsible for the overall system and for the launch contract with Franco-Russian company Starsem, which is providing the Soyuz launch service.

The contributions of the other international partners range from the provision of hardware items to ground stations, complementary ground-based observation of targets to be studied by COROT and analysis of the scientific data to come. ESA is playing a crucial role in the mission. It has contributed the optics for the telescope positioned at the heart of the spacecraft and has carried out payload testing.

The telescope's baffle was developed by a team at ESA's technical centre ESTEC. ESA has also provided the onboard data processing units. And under this truly collaborative effort, a number of scientists from various European countries - Denmark, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Portugal - have been selected as Co-Investigators following open competition. As a result of ESA’s participation, scientists from its Member States will also be given access to COROT data.

Status reports on the mission are available from CNES at: http://www.cnes.fr/corot_en/
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"



Le Rochefoucauld.



"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."



My dad 1986.
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Lulu2
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

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Bon voyage, COROT! I wish we could go along!
My candle's burning at both ends, it will not last the night. But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends--It gives a lovely light!--Edna St. Vincent Millay
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Galbally
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

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Lulu2;499032 wrote: Bon voyage, COROT! I wish we could go along!


Its cold in space lu, we would at least have to being sleeping bags. But I know what you mean, I think its fantastic, and NASA have a similar mission planned, its going to be very interesting to see what they find.
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"



Le Rochefoucauld.



"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."



My dad 1986.
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Lulu2
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

Post by Lulu2 »

Oh, ok....how about a live TV feed from the little voyager? Does anyone else love "Contact?"
My candle's burning at both ends, it will not last the night. But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends--It gives a lovely light!--Edna St. Vincent Millay
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Galbally
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

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onsekiz;499099 wrote: Great project. After what Hawking rightly said

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6158855.stm


Yes, at some stage should the technology permit it, it would be the only sure way of ensuring that the human race could survive an Earth-wide catastrophe. It will be a long time into the future though in my opinion, if ever.
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"



Le Rochefoucauld.



"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."



My dad 1986.
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Galbally
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

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Lulu2;499310 wrote: Oh, ok....how about a live TV feed from the little voyager? Does anyone else love "Contact?"


Yes, of course I do, I see you as a bit like herself in that film actually, clever, determined, cute, its my sciency-woman fantasy. I loved Carl Sagan, he was so passionate and a brilliant space scientist, his books are excellent, and I loved the book "The Demon Haunted World" its such a testament to rational, clear thinking.

I don't think that there will be a live TV feed from this one, just a radio transmitter for the data being sent back to earth, live TV would need too much power. Though some of that will be pictures of course, but digital ones I am sure. I am not sure how the NASA one is going to work, it may be different.
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"



Le Rochefoucauld.



"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."



My dad 1986.
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Galbally
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

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Pinky;499113 wrote: Wow, wouldn't it be amazing if they did find other planets like ours?

I reckon there must be loads of habitable planets outside our solar system and indeed our galaxy...they're just too far off to be found by us yet. I think it's pretty arrogant to think that we're the only 'live' planet though.

Isn't there evidence to suggest that Mars once had it's own thriving eco-system?


Well, they may have found running water on Mars, if thats the case then I would say that the probability of life on Mars is extremely high.
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"



Le Rochefoucauld.



"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."



My dad 1986.
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Galbally
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

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Kathy Ellen;499117 wrote: Galbally, do you ever listen to a radio talk show host called "Art Bell" or "George Noory." They have a fabulous show in the states called "Coast to Coast." Art is living in the Philippines right now, and we pick up his show on our local radio station which can be picked up also on the net. Art has been through rough times so he's not as wild and wacky as before, but his show is still great. You must like to hear about supernatural things and ET's though, but they also have many serious discussions about astronomy.

Kathy Ellen


No, but I will check it out, thanks for the info.
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"



Le Rochefoucauld.



"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."



My dad 1986.
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chonsigirl
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

Post by chonsigirl »

The link is great, Dr. G.

LuLu, do you ever go to the Planetary Society meetings out there? I still belong to them, they would have loads of info on this, and all the latest missions. What a jolly group of people!
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Lulu2
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

Post by Lulu2 »

Ah...MARS! Some day in my lifetime, I'd like to see them find a living organism there.....



" clever, determined, cute, its my sciency-woman fantasy." AWWWW (thanks)...remember, she could be a bit of a pistol, too!
My candle's burning at both ends, it will not last the night. But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends--It gives a lovely light!--Edna St. Vincent Millay
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Galbally
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

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Pinky;499361 wrote: How the hell did you suss out I'm a martian?:thinking:


No, she said Organism. :lips: :lips:
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"



Le Rochefoucauld.



"A smack in the face settles all arguments, then you can move on kid."



My dad 1986.
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Lulu2
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New probe to search for Earth-like planets.

Post by Lulu2 »

:yh_rotfl :yh_worshp :yh_kiss
My candle's burning at both ends, it will not last the night. But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends--It gives a lovely light!--Edna St. Vincent Millay
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