William Atkins
Friday, 07 August 2009 21:18
Science -
Space
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Astronomers are especially interested in Earth-sized exoplanets that orbit their parent stars in the so-called “Goldilocks zone,” which is a range of orbits that is not “too close” nor “too far” from the stars they orbit about.
When an exoplanet orbits within the “Goldilocks zone” (or, the “habitable zone) the possibility is much higher that life may exist on the planet because it is located at a distance that is “just right” for the possibility for life.
For instance, Earth is within the “Goldilocks zone” for the Sun and consequently, we find life on our planet.
For instance, the exoplanet Gliese 581 d is considered the best possibility so far for having life on it because it is within the Goldilocks zone around its red dwarf star Gliese 581, which is about 20 light-years from Earth.
Kepler will look for exoplanets by observing, with its photometer, the periodic reduction in brightness of stars, which results when a planet crosses in front of its parent star. It will monitor over 100,000 stars during its mission.
William J. Borucki, who is the principal science investigator and lead author of the Science paper, commented on the ability of Kepler to observe exoplanets.
Dr. Borucki, who is associated with the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, says,
"When the light curves from tens of thousands of stars were shown to the Kepler science team, everyone was awed; no one had ever seen such exquisitely detailed measurements of the light variations of so many different types of stars."
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