"C – C". Know the "Planet Hunter" after his death in space

NASA announced the death of its Kepler Space Observatory after a very unexpected and rich journey in which thousands of planets were discovered outside our solar system.

In the following presentation, we review the most important information about the "Planetary Hunter" after retiring to space.

Why will the space telescope retreat?

He had used Kepler's fuel for not being able to continue his work. He had encountered several problems in recent years and his GPS had been disrupted in 2013, but scientists have found ways to continue his work.

Where will Kepler go after his death in space?

NASA says Kepler will swim in space with a safe orbit away from the Earth.

When did the space observatory start?

NASA launched the Kepler Observatory on March 6, 2009, which means that its mission lasted more than nine and a half years, much longer than expected.

What did Kepler do in space?

The space telescope was intended to observe other planets outside the solar system of the Milky Way to discover Earth-like planets in which other life-threatening planets might exist.

Kepler, on the orbit of the solar system rather than on the Earth 's orbit, and close to a nearby solar system, known as Segnos Lira, is characterized by the fact that. plenty of stars and planets.

The mission of the observatory evolved in 2014 after a crash and NASA scientists have adjusted its operational plan to focus every three months on another direction of the sky, strengthening its space research. .

Why is it described as an unexpected action?

Kepler's mission was to last three and a half years, but as it is now clear, it lasted nine and a half years, more than double its duration.

What are Kepler's achievements?

By observing the telescope, during its mission 2681 confirmed constellation, and 2899 objects can constitute a planet, or 5580 in total outside the solar system.

Of these planets, about 50 may have about the same size and temperature of the Earth, which are still under study.

The telescope revealed the diversity of planets in the galaxy of the Milky Way. The results suggest that far-distant star systems encompass billions of planets and have also contributed to the discovery of the first known moon outside the solar system.

"Kepler's data indicates that there are many more planets in the sky than we thought, and we now know that there are more planets than stars," said the NASA.

In 2014, the Earth is very similar to Earth: although it is about 1,400 light-years away, it has a similar Earth orbit, receives about the same amount of sunlight, and has the same duration of year.

How did Kepler discover these planets and stars?

The Observatory was equipped with a special instrument to measure starlight differences as the surrounding planets traversed the area in front of its target, even if these differences were minimal.

"If we turn this telescope into a small city on the surface of the Earth at night, it will be able to monitor the light of a flashlight," said James Fanson, director of the Kepler program at the time of its launch.

Does the death of Kepler mean the end of his exploits?

No, NASA announced that the latest observatory Earth observation data had been published earlier in October and that they would be analyzed over the next period, which means that new discoveries are likely.

The Agency's scientists described the observatory as surprising, because it was not only the number of planets it had discovered, but the new and disconcerting perspectives it had created to form the core of new projects.

What is Kepler's alternative?

The satellite probe of planets outside the solar system, known as Tess, launched in April, replaced Kepler.

A two-year mission will continue at a cost of $ 337 million.