The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA’s) revamped planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft has discovered more than 100 planets orbiting other stars.
The Kepler spacecraft discovered these alien planets during its second-chance K2 mission by using the transit method.
Transit method
The Kepler spacecraft finds the planets by using the transit method. It is detection of the tiny brightness dips caused by the planet after it crosses its host star’s face from spacecraft’s perspective.
Transit method technique requires extremely precise pointing of spacecraft.
Kepler spacecraft
Kepler was launched in March 2009 and was tasked with determining how commonly, Earth-like planets occur throughout the Milky Way galaxy.
Since its launch, the mission has been incredibly successful and has led to finding of more than 1,000 alien planets of which half are exoplanets to be ever discovered.
Current Affairs: 9th January, 2016 Current Affairs Round up December, 2015.
Join The Discussion