The Kepler Search for Planets

The Kepler "Telescope" in Space

This is a very special space telescope designed to locate planets that orbit other stars, using the "transit method."

KEPLER'S TRANSIT METHOD

The planetary planes (disk-like orbital patterns) of the planets of some stars can be found to be lined up (as they would be seen from Earth) so that any planets around such stars will "transit" those stars (pass in front of those stars).

This creates very tiny dips in the brightness of such stars and, as we detect the dips and measure them very carefully, we learn a great deal about such transiting planets. We can determine the size of the planets, the size of the orbits, the temperatures of the planets and other important information.

Such information can suggest the possibility of Earth-like planets that might be orbiting within "habitable zones" (where the temperature allows water to exist in a liquid state). Such planets might actually prove to be habitable and a few might actually already be inhabited by life forms of one kind or another.

THE KEPLER INSTRUMENT OF DETECTION

The Kepler "telescope" is not the usual sort of optical instrument. It is a special photometer (light meter) with a large field of view, in order to allow for the observation of a large number of stars.

The photometer (through the "local detector" electronics) detects tiny changes in light that is received from observed stars, on the primary mirror. (Successful detection by this method and by other means have now shown us that there are thousands of planets out there, traveling around other stars.)

The above image is an artist's rendering of the target region of the Kepler instrument.

KEPLER DETECTIONS

   Two planets have been discovered (Aug., 2010) orbiting a sun-like star given the designation "Kepler-9." They are Saturn-sized planets and this is the first star system we have found that has simultaneous multiple transiting planets.

   Since then, many thousands of planets have been discovered. And new instruments are being developed that are expected to detect planetary atmospheres and their composition.

   If the chemistry is present that indicates life, intelligent or otherwise, we are going to begin to be able to detect such facts.

   It is truly an amazing time of discovery for all of Humankind.

All images are courtesy of NASA

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