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Flower-shaped starshade might help detect Earth-like planets

(Lilithia)
1 decade 2 weeks ago

YouTube: Astronomers believe that every star in the galaxy has a planet, one fifth of which might harbor life. Only we haven't seen any of them -- yet. Jeremy Kasdin and his team are looking to change that with the design and engineering of an extraordinary piece of equipment: a flower petal-shaped "starshade" that allows a telescope to photograph planets from 50,000 kilometers away. It is, he says, the "coolest possible science."

3 Comments

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"that allows a telescope to photograph planets from 50,000 kilometers away"

The Grammar Nazi emailed me and said that although he understands what you were trying to say, you got it wrong.

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I totally love how the occulter looks like an ancient drawing of the sun.

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I'd kinda like to know what the difference a 300m occulter at 55,000km is any different than, say, a 30m one at 500km?

Just saying that two parts, 55,000km from each other will be a bitch to re-aim to the next solar system on "the list".