The Solar Gravitational Lens will Map Exoplanets. Seriously.
Launch Pad Astronomy・18 minutes read
The next generation of space telescopes like HabEx and LUVOIR aims to directly image Earth-sized exoplanets using advanced technologies, despite the challenge of resolving exoplanet surfaces. Utilizing the Sun as a gravitational lens could magnify distant exoplanets by 100 billion times, with a team led by Dr. Slava Turyshev at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory working towards this goal using a Solar Gravitational Lens mission.
Insights
- Utilizing the Sun as a gravitational lens can amplify exoplanets by 100 billion times, enabling detailed imaging, with a mission led by Dr. Slava Turyshev at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory working towards this goal.
- Advanced telescopes like HabEx and LUVOIR aim to directly image Earth-sized exoplanets using coronagraphs and starshades, although current technology falls short in resolving exoplanet surfaces, necessitating a telescope 90 km in diameter to achieve this level of detail.
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Recent questions
How will future telescopes identify habitable exoplanets?
By analyzing light reflecting off exoplanets to determine atmospheric composition.
What is needed to resolve exoplanet surfaces?
A more powerful telescope than currently feasible.
What are scientists working on to image exoplanets within our lifetimes?
Creating images using advanced telescopes like HabEx and LUVOIR.
How do telescopes directly image Earth-sized exoplanets?
By using coronagraphs and starshades to block out starlight.
What is the goal for achieving detailed images of exoplanets?
To achieve a 1000x1000 pixel resolution image within our lifetimes.
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Summary
00:00
"Future telescopes to image exoplanets clearly"
- The next generation of space telescopes will identify habitable exoplanets by analyzing the light reflecting off them to determine atmospheric composition.
- To resolve exoplanet surfaces, a telescope more powerful than currently feasible is needed, but using the Sun as a gravitational lens could magnify distant exoplanets by 100 billion times.
- Scientists and engineers are actively working to create images of exoplanets within our lifetimes using advanced telescopes like HabEx and LUVOIR.
- These telescopes can directly image Earth-sized exoplanets using coronagraphs and starshades to block out starlight, enabling the study of orbits, seasonal changes, and atmospheric composition.
- However, these telescopes cannot resolve exoplanet surfaces, requiring a telescope 90 km in diameter to create a one-pixel image of an exo-Earth 100 light-years away.
- Increasing the signal to noise ratio to create a detailed image would require an integration time of 100,000 years, but the goal is to achieve a 1000x1000 pixel resolution image within our lifetimes.
- Utilizing the Sun as a gravitational lens can amplify exoplanets by 100 billion times, with a team led by Dr. Slava Turyshev at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory working on a Solar Gravitational Lens mission.
- The mission involves positioning a telescope at the Sun's gravitational focus, located at 550 astronomical units, to observe exoplanets, with plans to reach the focus in 20-30 years after launch.
- To overcome the Sun's brightness, a specialized coronagraph designed by Michael Shao at JPL will be used to image the Einstein ring of exoplanets starting at 650 AU.
- Image deconvolution techniques can reconstruct detailed images of exoplanets, with the potential to achieve resolutions of 25 km per pixel at 100 light-years away, allowing for the mapping of exoplanet surfaces over time using a "string of pearls" approach with small spacecraft.
14:15
Solar Sails Propel Small Spacecraft to SGL
- Spacecraft for NERVA mission will consist of smallsats with solar sails, launching together or separately on commercial launchers to rendezvous in cislunar space.
- SunVanes, advanced solar sails, are individually articulated for maneuverability, accelerating spacecraft towards the Sun.
- Sails can withstand intense radiation up to 10 solar radii, potentially advancing to 5 solar radii with advanced technology.
- Maneuverability allows precise adjustments for course setting towards Solar Gravitational Lens (SGL) after crossing Jupiter's orbit.
- Small, precise adjustments are made using ion microthrusters to assemble telescopes from smallsats, equipped with mirrors and coronagraphs.
- Self-assembling spacecraft technology is real, under development by various organizations for missions like AAReST and DeMi.
- SGL spacecraft will operate autonomously using AI and machine learning, navigating through stages of flight and handling observations upon reaching the SGL.
