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Distant Planet Imaging Project Gets More Funding

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the dreaming-of-zoom-lenses dept.

It doesn't come easy writes "NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts has chosen a proposal by the University of Colorado (UC) at Boulder to image distant planets around other stars for a second round of funding. Known as the New Worlds Observer, the UC project is for an orbiting, soccer-field sized "starshade" shaped like a daisy that would funnel light from distant planets between its petals to a second spacecraft trailing 50,000 miles behind. If the concept proves feasible, it could 'identify planetary features like oceans, continents, polar caps and cloud banks, and even detect biomarkers like methane, water, oxygen and ozone [...]'"

5 of 264 comments (clear)

  1. nice by gcnaddict · · Score: 0, Redundant

    /passes a few lightyears from the sun, uses telescope Hey! I can see my house from here!

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  2. As I'm sure they will find out by suso · · Score: 0, Redundant

    it can also detect planetary features like large pockets of hydrogen, methane and nitrogen gas, rings, color bands and thick soupy atmospheres. ;-) Sorry, but I think we're too far away to see anything earth size for now. Maybe in 10-20 years we'll have the technology down.

  3. Minor correction by MoxCamel · · Score: 0, Redundant
    ...a proposal by the University of Colorado (UC) at Boulder to image distant planets around other stars for a second round of funding. Known as the New Worlds Observer, the UC project is...

    The University of Colorado goes by CU, not UC. The Boulder campus goes simply by CU Boulder. (yeah well, it's a slow news day for me too...)

    Mox

  4. im just waiting by gooberguy25 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    im just waiting for: alienvideo.google.com "Video Chat with your new Alien Friends!"

  5. Wrong Abbreviation by milesbparty · · Score: 0, Redundant

    The abbreviation for the University of Colorado Boulder is CU not UC.

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