beyond our solar system

Gaia

Peopledon’thavetogotoaplacetoexploreit.ManyofEarth’sspacecraftaresendingbackimages,data,andotherinformationforscientiststostudy.Here’salookatwhatwe’re discovering.

SpeedingStars

OneexcitingmissioniscalledGaia.It’smeasuringthedistancesandmotionsofmorethanabillionstarsinourgalaxy,theMilkyWay.In2018,scientistsreleasednewdatafromGaiathatledtomany discoveries.

Forexample,astronomersdiscoveredtwosmallstarsthatspeedthroughspaceat8millionkilometers(5millionmiles)perhour.Thesestarsaresofast,theywilleventuallyescapetheMilky Way.


Scientiststhinkeachstarwasoncewhirlingaroundanothersmallstar.Whenthatstarblewup,thesurvivingstarskeptgoingatthesamehigh speed.

Thisillustrationshowsthemovementofstars,astrackedby Gaia.

TechniciansreadyTESSfor launch.

SeekingNewEarths

In2018,NASAlaunchedaspacecrafttofindnewplanetsgoingaroundstarsotherthanoursun.ThisspacecraftisnamedTESSforTransitingExoplanetSurveySatellite.Ifaplanetpassesinfrontofitsstar,thestar’slightdimsalittle.ThatletsTESSdiscoverthe planet.

TESSfounditsfirstplanetgoingaroundastarnamedPiMensae.Thisstarislikethesun.ButtheplanetismuchclosertothestarthanEarthistothesun.So,theplanetmustbetoohottoliveon.Overtime,TESSwillprobablydiscoverthousandsofnewplanets.Maybesomewillbemorelike Earth.

TESS

TESS launches.

View pictures from the hubble space telescope

LookingBeyond

Meanwhile,anoldtelescopeisstillshowingusnewthingsinspace.ThisistheHubbleSpaceTelescope,whichNASAlaunchedin1990.Hubblelooksatplanets,stars,andother galaxies.


Hubblehashadgreatsuccessbecauseit’saboveEarth’satmosphere.Airshakesthebeamoflightfromastar,makingthestartwinkle.Yes,atwinklingstarisbeautiful.But,thetwinklemakesithardertostudythestar’slight.Outinspace,starsdon’ttwinkle,soHubbleseesthemmore clearly.

What’sNext?

Hubbleisfairlysmall.Itsmainmirrorisonlyabout2.4meters(8feet)across.NASAwantstolaunchamuchbiggertelescope.ThisoneiscalledtheJamesWebbSpaceTelescope.It’snearlythreetimesbiggerthanHubble.AndlikeHubble,thistelescopewillbeaboveEarth’satmosphereandwillseeplanets,stars,andgalaxiesclearly.Whoknowswhatwewillseenextin space?

theJamesWebbSpace Telescope