Planet-hunting telescope sees three alien worldsAugust 7th, 2009 LONDON - The planet-hunting Kepler space telescope has found its first extrasolar planets, in the form of three alien worlds that had been previously discovered with ground-based telescopes. According to a report in New Scientist, the finds confirm that Kepler's instruments are sensitive enough to detect Earth-like planets around sun-like stars.
Space telescopes may soon start detecting air-breathing aliens in exoplanetsMay 18th, 2009 LONDON - The day is not far when it would be possible to see signs of life on planets far away from our own solar system-thanks to space telescopes that could soon be able to detect "biosignatures" in the light from planets orbiting other stars. Talking at an astrobiology meeting, scientists revealed that it could be possible to get clues of life on such exoplanets via tiny fraction of the parent star's light that interacts with the planet on its journey towards Earth.
NASA's Kepler spacecraft begins hunt for Earth-like planetsMay 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - NASA's Kepler spacecraft, which launched into orbit on March 6, has being hunting for other Earth-like planets. The mission will spend the next three-and-a-half years staring at more than 100,000 stars for telltale signs of planets.
Extrasolar planets disappear after parent stars pluck themApril 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Billions of planets are orbiting stars outside our solar system, but many have disappeared after being plucked by the gravitational pull of their stars, according to a study. Computer models over the last year or so have only predicted that gravitational forces might pull a planet into its parent star and this is such planet destruction has already occurred, said Washington University (WU) astronomer Rory Barnes.
Missing planets proof of destructive power of stars' tidesApril 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Astronomers have come across first time evidence of the destructive power of stars' tides, in the form of missing planets outside our solar system. According to University of Washington astronomer Rory Barnes, the idea that gravitational forces might pull a planet into its parent star has been predicted by computer models only in the last year or so, and this is the first evidence that such planet destruction has already occurred.
NASA's Kepler mission sends first shots of planet-hunting territoryApril 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - NASA's Kepler mission has captured its first images of the star-rich sky where it will soon begin hunting for planets like Earth. The new 'first light' images show the mission's target patch of sky, a vast starry field in the Cygnus-Lyra region of our Milky Way galaxy.
NASA's Kepler mission begins hunt for planets like EarthApril 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - NASA's Kepler mission has taken its first images of the star-rich sky where it will soon begin hunting for planets like Earth. The new images show the mission's target patch of sky, a vast starry field in the Cygnus-Lyra region of our Milky Way galaxy.
Planets around cool suns have different mix of life-forming chemicalsApril 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope hints that planets around stars cooler than our Sun might possess a different mix of potentially life-forming, or "prebiotic," chemicals. Astronomers used Spitzer to look for a prebiotic chemical, called hydrogen cyanide, in the planet-forming material swirling around different types of stars.
Kepler camera launched: Other 'earths', where are you?March 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - NASA late Friday sent the Kepler satellite into Earth's orbit with instructions to search for extraterrestrial life on Earth-type planets orbiting other stars. The launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida on board a Delta-II-rocket was reported on a live blog operated by the Kepler project on the internet.
NASA readies search for other Earths with Kepler launchMarch 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Are we alone in the universe? Are there other planets like Earth? Scientists will attempt to answer those questions with a telescope being launched into orbit Friday. The Kepler spacecraft is to launch at 10:49 p.m.
NASA's Kepler mission to begin quest to find planets hosting lifeFebruary 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - NASA's Kepler spacecraft is ready to begin a journey to search for worlds that could potentially host life. It is scheduled for blast-off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, aboard a Delta II rocket on March 5 at 7:48 p.m.
ET, where are you? NASA to launch Kepler cameraFebruary 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - The search for extraterrestrial life will take another step in March, when NASA launches its Kepler satellite to systematically look for Earth-type planets orbiting other stars. The Kepler mission, named after the 17th century German astronomer, is to be launched March 5 and target 100,000 stars in the Milky Way galaxy that scientists believe could have planets orbiting in a 'habitable' zone, NASA scientists said Thursday.
ET, where are you? NASA to launch Kepler cameraFebruary 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The search for extraterrestrial life will take another step in March, when NASA launches its Kepler satellite to systematically look for Earth-type planets orbiting other stars. The Kepler mission, named after the 17th century German astronomer, is to be launched March 5 and target 100,000 stars in the Milky Way galaxy that scientists believe could have planets orbiting in a 'habitable' zone, NASA scientists said Thursday.
ET, where are you? NASA to launch Kepler cameraFebruary 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The search for extraterrestrial life will take another step in March, when NASA launches its Kepler satellite to systematically look for Earth-type planets orbiting other stars. The Kepler mission, named after the 17th century German astronomer, is to be launched March 5 and target 100,000 stars in the Milky Way galaxy that scientists believe could have planets orbiting in a 'habitable' zone, NASA scientists said Thursday.
NASA's Kepler mission to begin quest to find planets hosting lifeFebruary 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - NASA's Kepler spacecraft is ready to begin a journey to search for worlds that could potentially host life. It is scheduled for blast-off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, aboard a Delta II rocket on March 5 at 7:48 p.m.
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