[ad_1]
A new research instrument for potentially habitable / inhabited planets has been commissioned at the Subaru telescope. This instrument, IRD (InfraRed Doppler), will search for habitable planets around red dwarf stars. Astronomers hope that studying these small but numerous stars will discover a plethora of new planets.
Red dwarfs are smaller than the Sun and emit most of their energy in the form of infrared (IR) rather than visible light. But because they are smaller, it is easier to find planets around them. Moreover, in the vicinity of the Sun, many late type M stars (a type of red dwarf) are ready to be studied. The large number of candidates increases the chances of finding planets that are potentially habitable or interesting.
But red dwarfs are quite different from the Sun so that a new instrument is needed before it can be studied for the planets. Researchers at the NINS Astrobiology Center, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the University of Tokyo, the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and the Institute of Tokyo technology have created IRD to observe IR light emitted by red dwarf stars. Combined with the great light gathering power of the Subaru telescope to capture the dim light of red dwarfs, the IRD will allow astronomers to study hundreds of stars in search of planets.
A new technology, called laser frequency comb, to measure the movement of the line of sight of a star to a few meters per second. Watching this movement for the effects caused by the planets around the star reveals not only the presence of a planet, but also its characteristics, such as its mass and distance from the star. By comparing this information to models, researchers can choose the most interesting planets for detailed monitoring observations.
The IRD made successful observations earlier this year and will be available to the world astronomical community from August 2018.
Learn more:
15 new planets confirmed around dwarf stars
Source link
