An advanced telescope imaging system that started
taking data in June 2012 is the first of its kind capable of spotting planets
orbiting suns outside of our solar system. The collaborative set of high-tech
instrumentation and software, called Project 1640, is now operating on the Hale
telescope at the Palomar Observatory near San Diego, after more than six years
of development.
Researchers and engineers behind the project come
from the American Museum of Natural History in New York, N.Y., the California
Institute of Technology in Pasadena, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also
in Pasadena.
The project's first images demonstrate a new
technique that creates extremely precise "dark holes" around stars of
interest. These dark holes allow researchers to spot planets.
"The more we learn about them, the more we
realize how vastly different planetary systems can be from our own," said
Gautam Vasisht of JPL. "All indications point to a tremendous diversity of
planetary systems, far beyond what was imagined just 10 years ago. We are on
the verge of an incredibly rich new field."
Keywords – New Instrument Sifts Starlight for New
Worlds, Palomar Observatory near San Diego, American Museum of Natural History
in New York.
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