 |
|
|
For centuries, people have been fascinated with discovering new Earth-like planets somewhere in our Universe, and the Kepler mission will be the one to offer this opportunity. NASA’s instrument will have the mission to survey the Milky Way in the search for planets smaller or similar to ours that could possibly be habitable.
The astronomical telescope has a very large field of view, and was designed to help scientists determine the number of terrestrial and larger planets in or near the habitable zone of various stars, determine the distribution of sizes and shapes of their orbits, estimate the number of planets that are in multiple-star systems, gather data on their variety, and determine the property of stars that harbor planetary systems.
According to the latest update on Kepler, the spacecraft is now secured tightly to the top of the Delta II rocket, as it prepares for the launch. NASA said the launch will take place no earlier than March 6 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
“Kepler is a critical component in NASA’s broader efforts to ultimately find and study planets where Earth-like conditions may be present,” saidJon Morse, Astrophysics Division director at NASA Headquarters in Wasghinton, adding that the Kepler mission is important for understanding the frequency of Earth-sized planets in the galaxy and for future missions that could take us closer to new worlds around nearby stars.
The mission will extend on 3.5 years, and will include watching approximately 100,000 stars, NASA revealed. Kepler will be capable of more complex observations than any other observatory (even Hubble).
© 2007 - 2009 - eFluxMedia
