U.S. astronomers want a giant telescope to hunt new planets similar to Earth

Using spectroscopy to study how matter and light interact, astronomers will begin to study the atmospheres of large, hot worlds to look for biosignatures or evidence of life signs on other planets.

The second new priority announced in the report is to seek an understanding of what happened in the first moments of our universe. black holes, white dwarfs and stellar explosions. Through projects such as the launch of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna by proposing a space probe that will detect and measure gravitational waves, research in this area can help scientists find new physics and sharpen their understanding of astronomical measurements.

The third priority will be to address the origin and evolution of galaxies and to determine how these astronomical systems relate. In particular, the researchers want to use spectroscopy to study the diverse structures that make up galaxy environments.

A new way to plan missions

The commission’s report also says NASA should create a new program to change the way projects are planned and developed.

“Instead of recommending and approving missions that will take so many years,” says González, “what we recommend to NASA is to create a line we call the Great Observatories Mission and Technology Maturation Program, which designs and develops technologies for missions. accepted ”.

This program would develop technologies a few years before they were planned for any space mission and would provide initial verifications and reviews along the way. Usually this process begins when a mission is recommended, but this program aims to halve the time between the recommendation and the launch.

Considering how much time and money it takes to develop a mission concept, the report suggests, a new approach could help NASA increase the number of large-scale projects at once. The question is whether or not they end up flying, González says. It is important to have the right resources and support as soon as possible.

The first mission to be included in the new program will be a space-based telescope, which will use high-contrast images to provide new data on exoplanets, in line with Astro2020’s top priorities. significantly higher than Hubble Space Telescope, will be able to observe planets that are weaker than its star by at least 10 billion factors. This will profoundly change the way astronomers view the known universe.

Currently, the estimated cost of the project is about $ 11 billion, and if NASA supports it, no potential launch is expected until the early 2040s.

On the floor

For ground-based observatories, the committee’s main recommendation is to continue investing in the U.S. Extremely Large Telescope Program, which currently consists of three elements: the Giant Magellanic Telescope in Chile, the Hawaii Thirty-Meter Telescope, and the National Science Foundation. National Laboratory for Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research, Arizona.

Astro2020 also recommends replacing Karl Jansky with Very Large Array and Very Long Baseline Array. Very large next generation array, a much more sensitive radio observatory to be built by the end of the decade.

The report says that the success of each of these projects is essential if the United States is to maintain its position as a leader in terrestrial astronomy.

González says this year’s report hopes to bring new discoveries that reach beyond the scientific community. “This community isn’t just about astronomers,” he says. “Astronomy and people are the ones who benefit from astronomy.”