It's basically a giant flower flying through space to block some of the stars light...
Studying deep space is hard. Not only is everything extremely far away, but when a scientist is trying to study one specific object in the vast void of the universe, other things can get in the way—things like stars, which are crucial to all known existence, but have a brightness that can be distracting.
That's why engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are working on what they call a"starshade," which could block the light from stars outside the solar system to further research. It's all still hypothetical; no starshade has ever flown in space. The idea is ambitious, and would involve not one but two spacecraft: the space telescope and the starshade itself.
The idea of a starshade was first proposed in the halcyon days of the Space Race in the 1960s, when they were considered for studying exoplanets, or planets outside of the solar system. Hundreds of exoplanets have been discovered since then, often using natural star-blocking techniques. The transit method, for example, relies on when planetary orbits place exoplanets in between the telescope and their stars., a telescope with a 2.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
Russian, North American astronauts return to earthNASA astronaut Anne McClain, veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, and Canadian Space Agency record-holder David Saint-Jacques touched down on the steppes of Kazakhstan at 0247 GMT, NASA said.
Consulte Mais informação »
NASA captures spectacular images of Raikoke volcano spewing ash into the atmosphere after huge eruptionThe volcano—located in the North Pacific—has long been dormant, with its last eruption occurring in 1924.
Consulte Mais informação »
NASA to open moon rock samples sealed since Apollo missionsHOUSTON (AP) — Inside a locked vault at Johnson Space Center is treasure few have seen and fewer have touched. The restricted lab is home to hundreds of pounds of moon rocks collected by...
Consulte Mais informação »
NASA: Arctic ice arch has crumbled months earlier than it should haveThe arch that connects Greenland and Ellesmere Island normally breaks up in June or July.
Consulte Mais informação »
This Filmmaker Wants To Change How Black Trans People Feel About ThemselvesFor filmmaker tourmaliiine, who directed hbdmarsha, showing beauty in the lives of people navigating harsh conditions is the ultimate act of resistance
Consulte Mais informação »
Yet Another Household Item Whitney Wants in Earring FormThis time it's a neon-green 'clothespin' earring by Ambush.
Consulte Mais informação »