Scientists are readying a telescope to see alien planets outside Solar System

 

Scientists are readying a telescope to see alien planets outside Solar System

(Web Desktop) - Astronomers have so far detected more than 5,300 exoplanets outside our solar system, and a new telescope is in the works to observe them in more detail.
NASA's Nancy Grace Rome Space Telescope, planned to be launched in 2027, has reached a milestone by passing an important test on its system.

The device will change the way we observe exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) by using new technology that can detect more directly visible exoplanets.

Built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the coronagraph underwent rigorous testing to ensure its electronic components worked in harmony with other research sites.

Zhao Feng, head of the Roman Coronagraph project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said that the device successfully passed the electronic test and that he was happy and excited.

What is a Coronagraph?

The function of the coronagraph is to prevent the coronavirus. Light passing through the star allows scientists to see the dim lights of nearby planets.

This machine is important in the search for life beyond Earth because it allows scientists to analyze light from planets, which can contain information about the planets' climate and habitability.

Current telescopes and coronagraphs cannot see Earth-like planets in the bright light of their stars. The Roman Coronagraph aims to change this limitation by incorporating new technologies that will allow future missions to observe Jupiter-sized planets and eventually more Earth-like planets.

As a technology expert, Roman Coronagraph will test the best lighting techniques that exceed current capabilities by at least an order of magnitude. The aim is to improve the instrument's performance in analyzing complex targets and thereby gain new scientific insights.

Final testing is crucial to verify that the camera equipment used to capture individual photons is not affected by electromagnetic interference from other sources.

The device was placed in the electromagnetic isolation chamber of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and operated at full power. Engineers are carefully measuring electronic equipment and demonstrating the effects to simulate the conditions it will encounter on the Rome Space Telescope.

Although advances in coronagraphy are exciting, they are only part of the Rome Space Telescope's mission.