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@space-and-tecnology
HAWC. High Altitude Water Cherenkov observatory, used for detection of Cherenkov radiation and cosmic rays, assembled in Puebla, México. The feeling of being part of something bigger is the very peak of humankind, when you are up there, you only see, smell and feel science going on at all times, it’s like magic.
10 Steps to Confirm a Planet Around Another Star
So you think you found an exoplanet – a planet around another star? It’s not as simple as pointing a telescope to the sky and looking for a planet that waves back. Scientists gather many observations and carefully analyze their data before they can be even somewhat sure that they’ve discovered new worlds.
Here are 10 things to know about finding and confirming exoplanets.
This is an illustration of the different elements in our exoplanet program, including ground-based observatories, like the W. M. Keck Observatory, and space-based observatories like Hubble, Spitzer, Kepler, TESS, James Webb Space Telescope, WFIRST and future missions.
1. Pick your tool to take a look.
The vast majority of planets around other stars have been found through the transit method so far. This technique involves monitoring the amount of light that a star gives off over time, and looking for dips in brightness that may indicate an orbiting planet passing in front of the star.
We have two specialized exoplanet-hunting telescopes scanning the sky for new planets right now – Kepler and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) – and they both work this way. Other methods of finding exoplanets include radial velocity (looking for a “wobble” in a star’s position caused by a planet’s gravity), direct imaging (blocking the light of the star to see the planet) and microlensing (watching for events where a star passes in front of another star, and the gravity of the first star acts as a lens).
Here’s more about finding exoplanets.
2. Get the data.
To find a planet, scientists need to get data from telescopes, whether those telescopes are in space or on the ground. But telescopes don’t capture photos of planets with nametags. Instead, telescopes designed for the transit method show us how brightly thousands of stars are shining over time. TESS, which launched in April and just began collecting science data, beams its stellar observations back to Earth through our Deep Space Network, and then scientists get to work.
3. Scan the data for planets.
Researchers combing through TESS data are looking for those transit events that could indicate planets around other stars. If the star’s light lessens by the same amount on a regular basis – for example, every 10 days – this may indicate a planet with an orbital period (or “year”) of 10 days. The standard requirement for planet candidates from TESS is at least two transits – that is, two equal dips in brightness from the same star.
4. Make sure the planet signature couldn’t be something else.
Not all dips in a star’s brightness are caused by transiting planets. There may be another object – such as a companion star, a group of asteroids, a cloud of dust or a failed star called a brown dwarf, that makes a regular trip around the target star. There could also be something funky going on with the telescope’s behavior, how it delivered the data, or other “artifacts” in data that just aren’t planets. Scientists must rule out all non-planet options to the best of their ability before moving forward.
5. Follow up with a second detection method.
Finding the same planet candidate using two different techniques is a strong sign that the planet exists, and is the standard for “confirming” a planet. That’s why a vast network of ground-based telescopes will be looking for the same planet candidates that TESS discovers. It is also possible that TESS will spot a planet candidate already detected by another telescope in the past. With these combined observations, the planet could then be confirmed. The first planet TESS discovered, Pi Mensae c, orbits a star previously observed with the radial-velocity method on the ground. Scientists compared the TESS data and the radial-velocity data from that star to confirm the presence of planet “c.”
Scientists using the radial-velocity detection method see a star’s wobble caused by a planet’s gravity, and can rule out other kinds of objects such as companion stars. Radial-velocity detection also allows scientists to calculate the mass of the planet.
6. …or at least another telescope.
Other space telescopes may also be used to help confirm exoplanets, characterize them and even discover additional planets around the same stars. If the planet is detected by the same method, but by two different telescopes, and has received enough scrutiny that the scientists are more than 99 percent sure it’s a planet, it is said to be “validated” instead of “confirmed.”
7. Write a paper.
After thoroughly analyzing the data, and running tests to make sure that their result still looks like the signature of a planet, scientists write a formal paper describing their findings. Using the transit method, they can also report the size of the planet. The planet’s radius is related to how much light it blocks from the star, as well as the size of the star itself. The scientists then submit the study to a journal.
8. Wait for peer review.
Scientific journals have a rigorous peer review process. This means scientific experts not involved in the study review it and make sure the findings look sound. The peer-reviewers may have questions or suggestions for the scientists. When everyone agrees on a version of the study, it gets published.
9. Publish the study.
When the study is published, scientists can officially say they have found a new planet. This may still not be the end of the story, however. For example, the TRAPPIST telescope in Chile first thought they had discovered three Earth-size planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system. When our Spitzer Space Telescope and other ground-based telescopes followed up, they found that one of the original reported planets (the original TRAPPIST-1d) did not exist, but they discovered five others –bringing the total up to seven wondrous rocky worlds.
10. Catalog and celebrate – and look closer if you can!
Confirmed planets get added to our official catalog. So far, Kepler has sent back the biggest bounty of confirmed exoplanets of any telescope – more than 2,600 to date. TESS, which just began its planet search, is expected to discover many thousands more. Ground-based follow-up will help determine if these planets are gaseous or rocky, and possibly more about their atmospheres. The forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope will be able to take a deeper look at the atmospheres of the most interesting TESS discoveries.
Scientists sometimes even uncover planets with the help of people like you: exoplanet K2-138 was discovered through citizen scientists in Kepler’s K2 mission data. Based on surveys so far, scientists calculate that almost every star in the Milky Way should have at least one planet. That makes billions more, waiting to be found! Stay up to date with our latest discoveries using this exoplanet counter.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
HAWC. High Altitude Water Cherenkov observatory, used for detection of Cherenkov radiation and cosmic rays, assembled in Puebla, México. The feeling of being part of something bigger is the very peak of humankind, when you are up there, you only see, smell and feel science going on at all times, it's like magic.
“The secret to success is hard work. To be successful in this world one must perform the hardest kind of work. You must peg away night and day, and not stop a minute. There is no royal road. This has been the plan I have followed for years.
“Why! I am even blamed for being lazy by some people, because I do not perfect all my inventions; although I work from sixteen to twenty hours out of the twenty-four.”
–Nikola Tesla
“Our Modern Mr. Franklin – Mr. Tesla.” Success, November 4, 1898.
Comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy and the Pleiades
Image credit: Joseph Brimacombe
Starry Greetings!
Planet X is hosting a summer class! (You’ll see more of him in September)
This week’s topic: Pulsars
https://www.space.com/32661-pulsars.html
https://www.universetoday.com/25376/pulsars/
I do not know, neither do you.
Mars, God of War
Hubble Unravels a Twisted Cosmic Knot : This Hubble image shows what happens when two galaxies become one. The twisted cosmic knot seen here is NGC 2623 — or Arp 243 — and is located about 250 million light-years away in the constellation of Cancer (The Crab). (via NASA)
Caldwell 27: Crescent Nebula
Paul M. Hutchinson FRAS on Flickr
Astrophotography by Martin Heigan on Flickr (1, 2, 3, 4)
Going for GOLD
On Jan. 25, we’re going for GOLD!
We’re launching an instrument called Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk, GOLD for short. It’s a new mission that will study a complicated — and not yet fully understood — region of near-Earth space, called the ionosphere.
Space is not completely empty: It’s teeming with fast-moving energized particles and electric and magnetic fields that guide their motion. At the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and space, these particles and fields — the ionosphere — co-exist with the upper reaches of the neutral atmosphere.
That makes this a complicated place. Big events in the lower atmosphere, like hurricanes or tsunamis, can create waves that travel all the way up to that interface to space, changing the wind patterns and causing disruptions.
It’s also affected by space weather. The Sun is a dynamic star, and it releases spurts of energized particles and blasts of solar material carrying electric and magnetic fields that travel out through the solar system. Depending on their direction, these bursts have the potential to disrupt space near Earth.
This combination of factors makes it hard to predict changes in the ionosphere — and that can have a big impact. Communications signals, like radio waves and signals that make our GPS systems work, travel through this region, and sudden changes can distort them or even cut them off completely.
Low-Earth orbiting satellites — including the International Space Station — also fly through the ionosphere, so understanding how it fluctuates is important for protecting these satellites and astronauts.
GOLD is a spectrograph, an instrument that breaks light down into its component wavelengths, measuring their intensities. Breaking light up like this helps scientists see the behavior of individual chemical elements — for instance, separating the amount of oxygen versus nitrogen. GOLD sees in far ultraviolet light, a type of light that’s invisible to our eyes.
GOLD is a hosted payload. The instrument is hitching a ride aboard SES-14, a commercial communications satellite built by Airbus for SES Government Solutions, which owns and operates the satellite.
Also launching this year is the Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, which will also study the ionosphere and neutral upper atmosphere. But while GOLD will fly in geostationary orbit some 22,000 miles above the Western Hemisphere, ICON will fly just 350 miles above Earth, able to gather close up images of this region.
Together, these missions give us an unprecedented look at the ionosphere and upper atmosphere, helping us understand the very nature of how our planet interacts with space.
To learn more about this region of space and the GOLD mission, visit: nasa.gov/gold.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
Our Most “Liked” Instagram Posts of 2017
Our Instagram page has over 2,200 images and is lucky enough to be followed by more than 29 million fans.
What images and videos were your favorite from this past year? Great question, and one we asked ourselves too!
Here’s a look at our most liked Instagram posts* of 2017…Enjoy!
#10 Black Hole Collision
What happens when two supermassive black holes collide? Until last year, we weren’t quite sure. Gravitational waves! With 834,169 likes, this image is our 10th most liked of 2017.
#9 Italy Through the Space Station Cupola Window
European astronaut Paolo Nespoli (@Astro_Paolo) shared this image on social media of “Southern #Italy and Sicily framed by one of our Cupola windows” aboard the International Space Station. This image ranks #9 for 2017 with 847,365 likes.
#8 Black Hole Friday
For our 5th annual #BlackHoleFriday we’ll share awesome images and facts about black holes! A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. With 916,247 likes, this picture ranks #8 for 2017.
#7 The Elements of Cassiopeia A
Did you know that stellar explosions and their remains–“supernova remnants”–are a source of chemical elements essential for life here on Earth? A new Chandra X-ray Observatory image captures the location of several vital elements like silicon (red), sulfur (yellow), calcium (green) and iron (purple), located on Cassiopeia A–a supernova remnant ~11,000 light years from Earth. This image ranks #7 for 2017 with 943,806 likes.
#6 Jupiter Blues
Jupiter, you’re bluetiful 💙 ! Churning swirls of Jupiter’s clouds are seen in striking shades of blue in this new view taken by our Juno spacecraft. This image ranks as our sixth most liked Instagram post of 2017 with 990,944 likes.
#5 An Interstellar Visitor
An interstellar visitor…scientists have confirmed that an intriguing asteroid that zipped through our solar system in October is the first confirmed object from another star! Observations suggest that this unusual object had been wandering through the Milky Way, unattached to any star system, for hundreds of millions of years before its chance encounter with our star system. With 1,015,721 likes, this image ranks #5 for 2017.
#4 Space Station Lunar Transit
Space station supermoon. This composite image made from six frames shows the International Space Station, with a crew of six onboard, as it transits the Moon at roughly five miles per second on Dec. 2. This image ranks #4 for 2017 with 1,037,520 likes.
#3 The Space Between Us
A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Dec 20, 2017 at 2:56pm PST
The beautiful space between Earth and the International Space Station was immortalized by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei while orbiting 250 miles above the planet we call home. This majestic image ranks #3 for 2017 with 1,042,403 likes.
#2 The Moon Swallows the Sun
A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Aug 21, 2017 at 2:03pm PDT
Today, the Sun disappeared, seemingly swallowed by our Moon–at least for a while. The August 21 solar eclipse cut through a swath of North America from coast to coast and those along the path of totality, that is where the Moon completely covered the Sun, were faced with a sight unseen in the U.S. in 99 years. Which might have something to do with this image ranking #2 for 2017 with 1,144,503 likes.
#1 Solar Eclipse Over Cascade Lake
A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Aug 21, 2017 at 3:57pm PDT
Behold! This progression of the partial solar eclipse took place over Ross Lake, in Northern Cascades National Park, Washington on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017.
This photo was our #1 image of 2017 with 1,471,114 likes!
See them all here!
Do you want to get amazing images of Earth from space, see distant galaxies and more on Instagram? Of course you do! Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/nasa/
*Posts and rankings are were taken as of Dec. 28, 2017.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
Is It Okay to Touch Mars?
Observations of many solar phenomena have only become accessible to humans relatively recently with the advent of satellites. Prior to that, it simply wasn’t feasible to observe dynamics in the sun’s atmosphere, like solar prominences or coronal mass ejections – the sun was simply too bright to see them – except during the occasional total solar eclipse!
In the 1970s, scientists identified massive bursts of solar plasma as coronal mass ejections. These solar storms are responsible for so-called space weather and, when directed toward Earth, can pose a hazard to technologies on the ground and astronauts in orbit. Scientists initially thought this was the first time such storms had been observed, but they later recognized that photographs and sketches of an 1860 total eclipse revealed that humanity had seen a coronal mass ejection more than 100 years before! Check out the NASA video below for the full story. You can also learn about some of the science that will be going on in today’s eclipse. And, for those in the U.S. today, have a fun and safe time viewing the ecliipse! (Image credit: S. Habbal, M. Druckmüller and P. Aniol, source; video credit: NASA Goddard)
Counting Down | total solar eclipse 2017
Last image was captured just a minute before the total solar eclipse in Oregon. Stills from live stream by Space & Universe on YouTube.
Wish the moon passed in front of the sun more often. I’ll never forget this moment! Follow me: www.instagram.com/erubes1
