Chinese Scientists Complete a Concept Study for a 6-Meter Space Telescope to Find Habitable Exoplanets - by briankoberlein
One way is to look at the spectra of light from a star as a planet transits the star. The planet blocks some of the starlight, and if it has an atmosphere that will also block some light. But the atmosphere will only block certain wavelengths of light. By studying the light absorbed by the atmosphere, we can understand the composition of the atmosphere, such as water vapor or oxygen.
The Tainlin proposal takes a different approach. Rather than waiting for a planet to transit its star, the Tainlin telescope would utilize a coronagraph. This is a small barrier in the telescope’s field of view that blocks the light of a star. Coronagraphs were first used to study the Sun’s atmosphere, acting as a kind of artificial solar eclipse. By blocking direct light from a star, Tainlin could better capture light from orbiting planets.
As outlined in a recent paper, the Tainlin Mission could be ready to launch within the next 10-15 years with proper funding and could observe hundreds of Earth-like worlds during its five-year mission. Based on simulations, the Tainlin Mission could observe molecules such as water, oxygen, methane, and even chlorophyll. Taken together, this could confirm the presence of life on an exoplanet.
The proposal is still in the early stages, and there are many other planned missions, such as NASA’s LUVIOR mission and the European Space Agency’s PLATO and ARIEL missions. The race is on to discover new Earths and possibly even extraterrestrial life. With Tainlin, China hopes to ensure they are in the race as well.
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