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by Tanja Schumann (TU Berlin) & Yiannis Tsapras (Universität Heidelberg), May 2024

In northern Chile, on the 2682 metre-high El Peñón summit of Cerro Pachón, a very special telescope will be put into operation in March 2025:
With an 8.4 metre mirror and the largest camera ever built for astronomy and astrophysics, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will capture the cosmos in exquisite detail and help to answer some of our biggest questions about the universe.

This image shows Vera C. Rubin Observatory, currently under construction atop Cerro Pachón in the Chilean Andes. (Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA/O. Rivera)

Its mirror can move to a different position every 5 seconds so that it can image the entire visible sky in just 3 nights! This makes it possible to find and study objects of varying brightness such as supernovae or asteroids.

In addition, it is estimated that this powerful telescope will discover more than 17 billion stars and 20 billion galaxies that have never been seen before, expanding our knowledge in an incredible way!

But also in the discovery of extrasolar planets, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will be a great help: In synergy with the Roman Nancy Grace Space Telescope, it will find and explore new worlds beyond our solar system, providing the most comprehensive look yet at the formation, evolution and physical properties of planetary systems.

From NASA (WFIRST Project and Dominic Benford)

Named after NASA’s first female chief astronomer, the ‘mother of the Hubble Space Telescope’, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be able to block starlight to see exoplanets and planet-forming discs directly.

The gravitational microlensing method will also be used to detect exoplanets. This involves analysing events in which the gravity of one object magnifies the light of another. With the outstanding technology of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in collaboration with the Roman Space Mission, it will be possible to observe microlensing events across the entire galaxy. In addition, this advance will allow a better understanding of the structure of the Milky Way and how the masses of stars and black holes vary throughout the galaxy.

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Oben sieht man, wie das licht eines Sterns durch ein stilisiertes Prisma in seine Farben aufgebrochen wird. Daneben das ungestörte Sternenlichtspektrum in Diagrammform. Unten fällt das Sternenlicht erst durch die Atmosphäre eines Sterns, bevor es durch das Prisma aufgefächert wird. Einige Linien in dem Farbspektrum sind schwarz. Danabene das auf diese Art beeinflusste Sternenpektrum in Diagrammform, mit gut sichtbaren Absorptionslineien.

Observing exo-atmospheres

by | Nov 20, 2024 | All,All about exoplanets,Detection methods | 0 Comments

How can we learn about the atmosphere of an exoplanet?

Spectroscopy

by | May 8, 2024 | All,All about exoplanets,Detection methods | 0 Comments

What is a light spectrum and what can it tell us about exoplanets?

Exoplanet systems

by | Feb 12, 2024 | All,All about exoplanets,Multiple planet systems | 0 Comments

How do extrasolar planetary systems differ from the Solar System?

Astrometry

by | Mar 10, 2023 | All,Astrometry,Detection methods | 0 Comments

What can determining the exact position of a star tell us about a possible planet?

Direct Imaging

by | Mar 10, 2023 | All,Detection methods,Direct Imaging | 0 Comments

Why is it so difficult to see an exoplanet directly, even with powerful telescopes?

Gravitational lensing

by | Mar 10, 2023 | All,Detection methods,Gravitational lensing | 0 Comments

How can Einstein’s theory of relativity help to find planets that are otherwise undetectable?

Transit method

by | Mar 10, 2023 | All,Detection methods,Transit method | 0 Comments

How can measuring the brightness of a host star reveal the existence of a planet?

Radial velocity method

by | Mar 10, 2023 | All,Detection methods,Radial velocity | 0 Comments

How does an exoplanet interact with its star and how can we use this?

Neptune-sized planets

by | Mar 9, 2023 | All,All about exoplanets,Exoplanet types,Neptune-sized | 0 Comments

Why are there so few medium-sized exoplanets close to their host star?