Closing in on extrasolar planets (Forwarded)
- From: Andrew Yee <ayee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2005 11:11:49 -0500 (EST)
Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales
Paris, France
28 November 2005
Closing in on extrasolar planets
Preparations on the Corot satellite are entering the home straight, with a
last series of tests designed to evaluate its performance and ability to
withstand the mission environment, and final assembly operations. Intended
to detect Earth-like planets outside our Solar System, Corot is scheduled
to launch in autumn 2006.
Planetary systems and us
The eternal search for our origins is still driving astronomers today to
observe other planetary systems as they attempt to unveil the mysteries of
our own Solar System no less.
6 October 1995, the 1st extrasolar planet was discovered.
10 years later almost to the day, European researchers [1] detected the
160th known exoplanet, a large "hot Jupiter" designated HD18733b.
But in the years ahead, spaceborne telescopes are set to peer closer and
deeper into the Cosmos in search of much smaller planets.
Corot ready to hunt for extrasolar planets
Corot [2], to be launched next year, is the 1st such mission.
Corot will mark the 1st attempt to detect telluric planets outside our
Solar System.
The satellite will observe some 120 000 stars during its 2-and-a-half-year
mission.
Using the indirect transit method, which measures the dip in brightness of
a star when a planet passes in front of it, scientists hope to detect
several dozen planets whose size and chemical composition could be
compatible with the presence of liquid water.
The Corot satellite is currently undergoing final environmental testing at
Intespace in Toulouse, France.
Once testing is completed, the flight instrument will be integrated on the
Proteus spacecraft bus.
This operation is scheduled to start early next year at Alcatel Space's
facility in Cannes, France, from where it will then depart directly for
the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Satellite launch is slated for early autumn 2006 atop a Soyuz vehicle.
[1] European researchers: Astronomers at the LAM astrophysics laboratory
in Marseille (CNRS), the Haute Provence Observatory (OHP), the Marseille
Provence Astronomy Observatory and the Geneva University Observatory.
[2] Corot: COnvection, ROtation and planetary Transits, a joint programme
developed by CNES, CNRS, the Midi-Pyrénées Observatory (OMP), Esa,
Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany and Spain.
More about ...
* CNES Programmes - Corot
http://www.cnes.fr/html/_455_461_1401_.php
Related links
* Corot on the Esa website
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=39
[NOTE: Images supporting this release are available at
http://www.cnes.fr/html/_455_463_1545_4278_.php ]
.
- Prev by Date: New Horizons Update - December 2005
- Next by Date: Mars Exploration Rover Update - December 12, 2005
- Previous by thread: New Horizons Update - December 2005
- Next by thread: Mars Exploration Rover Update - December 12, 2005
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
