Kepler Mission Webcast

[kscvideos]

Kepler Mission Webcast

 

Video produced by the NASA Direct Studio at Kennedy Space Center. Youtube/KSCVideos has all the NASA Direct content as well as lots of space related subjects created by Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs, all free no ads.

Enjoy:-)

 

[cameron marical]

interesting. im glad their doing this.

[Airbrush]

Either they will find Earth-like planets or not. With what kind of confidence will they find out how common Earth-like planets are?

Edited March 8, 2009 by Airbrush

[iNow]

Habitable planets.

http://kepler.nasa.gov/

 

The scientific objective of the Kepler Mission is to explore the structure and diversity of planetary systems. This is achieved by surveying a large sample of stars to:

 

1. Determine the percentage of terrestrial and larger planets there are in or near the habitable zone of a wide variety of stars;
   
   
2. Determine the distribution of sizes and shapes of the orbits of these planets;
   
   
3. Estimate how many planets there are in multiple-star systems;
   
   
4. Determine the variety of orbit sizes and planet reflectivities, sizes, masses and densities of short-period giant planets;
   
   
5. Identify additional members of each discovered planetary system using other techniques; and
   
   
6. Determine the properties of those stars that harbor planetary systems.
   
   

 

 

The Kepler Mission also supports the objectives of future NASA Origins theme missions Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) and Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF),

 

• By identifying the common stellar characteristics of host stars for future planet searches,
  
  
• By defining the volume of space needed for the search and
  
  
• By allowing SIM to target systems already known to have terrestrial planets.
  
  

 

 

The sample size of stars for this mission is large enough to capture the richness of the unexpected. Should no detection be made, a null result would still be very significant.

 

[NowThatWeKnow]

It would seem to me that if the planets orbital plane of another star is not aligned with us, we would not find anything.

[Baub]

It will be exciting to see what data comes back. I think we need to let go of the premise of a"habitable zone". It is arrogant of us to assume that we know all scenarios in which life forms. Perhaps environments we have labeled as uninhabitable are where life off earth is thriving?

[Airbrush]

It would seem to me that if the planets orbital plane of another star is not aligned with us, we would not find anything.

 

According to wikipedia.org:

 

"The random probability of a planetary orbit being along the line-of-sight to a star is the diameter of the star divided by the diameter of the orbit. For an Earth-like planet at 1 AU transiting a solar-like star the probability is 0.465%, or about 1 in 215."

 

That means they will need to look at 215 stars before there is a high probability that they are looking at a proper angle to see an Earth-like planet pass in front of the star, using the "transit method". That means if they find one, they might extrapolate and say "since we saw one, there must be about 215 stars with an Earth-like planet for every one we can detect", among a certain class of star or in a general area of space?

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Merged post follows:

Consecutive posts merged

It will be exciting to see what data comes back. I think we need to let go of the premise of a"habitable zone". It is arrogant of us to assume that we know all scenarios in which life forms. Perhaps environments we have labeled as uninhabitable are where life off earth is thriving?

 

If the first life on Earth were extremeophiles, then you have a good point. Those scientists believe there is a much higher probability of finding life in the habitable zone, where water is in a liquid state. There are other possible bases for life, such as based on silicon, and using other solvents than water. But they think those possibilities are not very likely.

 

Wikipedia.org on "Alternative biochemistry"

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_biochemistry

Edited March 9, 2009 by Airbrush
Consecutive posts merged.

[mooeypoo]

I watched it live in NASA TV online and updated through twitter.. it was very exciting, and the pictures were amazing.