New Zealand scientists who are proposing a new method for finding Earth-like planets, say the number will be \"in the order of 100 billion.\" Researchers at The University of Auckland say the strategy would use a technique called gravitational microlensing, currently being utilized by a Japan-New Zealand collaboration called MOA, for Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics. The work will require a combination of data from microlensing and the NASA Kepler space telescope, they said. Kepler looks for distant planets by detecting the loss of light from a star when a planet orbits in front of it, whereas microlensing measures the gravitational deflection of light from a distant star that passes through a planetary system en route to Earth -- an effect predicted by Albert Einstein in 1936. Microlensing has been used to detect several planets as large as Neptune and Jupiter, but Auckland physicist Phil Yock and colleagues have outlined a strategy for detecting the tiny deflection caused by an Earth-sized planet. \"Kepler finds Earth-sized planets that are quite close to parent stars, and it estimates that there are 17 billion such planets in the Milky Way,\" he said. \"Our proposal is to measure the number of Earth-mass planets orbiting stars at distances typically twice the sun-Earth distance. Our planets will therefore be cooler than Earth. By interpolating between the Kepler and MOA results, we should get a good estimate of the number of Earth-like, habitable planets in the Galaxy. We anticipate a number in the order of 100 billion.\" Earth-sized planets could be detected more easily if a worldwide network of moderate-sized, robotic telescopes was available to monitor them, Yock said. The researchers\' proposal has been published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
GMT 20:46 2018 Tuesday ,23 January
New app to help Indians apply for UAE jobs visaGMT 21:37 2018 Sunday ,14 January
Champagne box-sized satellite launchedGMT 21:32 2018 Sunday ,14 January
Man's best friend goes high techGMT 16:11 2018 Friday ,12 January
UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science leads the way to new scientific and technological horizonsGMT 09:35 2018 Tuesday ,09 January
SpaceX launches secretive Zuma missionGMT 21:38 2018 Friday ,05 January
Our reliance on technology is having an effect on us allGMT 07:47 2017 Sunday ,24 December
China jails VPN owner for over five yearsGMT 20:59 2017 Saturday ,25 November
Now make unlimited voice, video calls in UAE for Dh50

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor