NASA will launch its latest mission, Pandora, in the fall of 2025 to study the atmosphere of distant exoplanets. James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) oversubscribe, Pandora will reveal the secrets of distant planets by focusing on key metrics for clouds, dangers and water (key metrics).
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Our latest exoplanet explorer Pandora is approaching its launch! Completed a spacecraft bus that houses the spacecraft brain is a big milestone. Pandora will help astronomers study the distant world and its composition of the atmosphere. https://t.co/w6joksh2ey #AAS245 pic.twitter.com/wmu4feuxi0
You are watching: What Is NASA’s Pandora Mission? Know Key Objectives & about Exoplanet
– NASA Universe (@nasauniverse) January 16, 2025
Understanding exoplanets has always been a central focus of modern astronomy, and Pandora’s goal is to bridge the gap left by existing telescopes. By focusing on observations of long-term observations of planet spans, Pandora will help scientists improve exoplanet models, thereby improving our understanding of planet formation, evolution and potential habitability in the universe.
Source: NASA
Overview
The upcoming mission is designed to enhance our understanding of the superstar atmosphere by focusing on their composition, clouds and potential livability. By leveraging dedicated telescopes, scientists will study how light interacts with atmospheric particles, providing valuable insights into planetary climate and chemistry. This study will contribute to extensive research on exoplanet diversity and evolution.
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feature |
detail |
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release date |
Autumn 2025 |
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Main objectives |
Study the atmosphere of at least 20 exoplanets |
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Key Points |
Detect hazards, clouds and water in a systematic atmosphere |
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17.7-inch (45 cm) hole Cassegrain telescope |
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Comparison with JWST |
Smaller and less sensitive, but designed for long-term observation |
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Main research methods |
Transit method: Analyzing the starlight passing through the planetary atmosphere |
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What is Pandora’s mission and goal?
Before diving into Pandora’s specific goals, it is crucial to understand why exoplanet atmosphere is important. These distant worlds are key to understanding how planets form and whether life exists elsewhere. By analyzing their atmosphere, scientists can detect important molecules such as water vapor, methane and carbon dioxide, which indicate potential habitability.
Mission objectives
- Study the atmosphere of exoplanets: Analyze the atmospheres of 20 exoplanets (mainly natural gas giants and supercurrencies). Study the presence of atmospheric composition, including water vapor, methane and other gases that may indicate habitability.
- Monitoring star activity and its impact on observation: Continuously observe host stars in visible and infrared light to understand how their brightness fluctuations affect external planetary research. Helps distinguish between actual atmospheric characteristics and stellar interference (such as star shapes or flares).
- Supports James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and other exoplanet missions: Supplement data by providing continuous long-term observations, data from JWST, Hubble and other telescopes. Improve the accuracy of external atmospheric models.
- The Smallsat function in departmental science is demonstrated: testing the contribution of low-cost small patches to astrophysics and planetary science. Provides a blueprint for future low-budget, high-impact space missions.
Source: NASA
Why is Pandora important?
Hunting in search of habitable planets has intensified in recent years. Although JWST and previous missions like Kepler have discovered thousands of exoplanets, long-term observation remains a challenge. Pandora tried to address this gap, allowing astronomers to conduct detailed research without competing for limited JWST observation time.
- Addressing the limitations of JWST: JWST, while powerful, has been ordered in large quantities, with astronomers demanding 78,000 hours of 2,377 recommendations, far exceeding the available time. Pandora helps by focusing on long-term observations that JWST can’t accommodate.
- Finding the World of Water: Water is essential to life. Pandora will analyze the water vapor, cloud composition and atmospheric conditions of external planets, from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to Ben Hord, “The existence of water is a key factor in determining the habitability of the planet.” ”
- Small satellite, big potential: Unlike JWST, Pandora is a small satellite, but has a crucial advantage: patience. It will stare at the host star for longer periods of time, enabling detailed atmospheric research.
How does Pandora detect the atmosphere of external stars?
Understanding the atmosphere of exoplanets is challenging, but Pandora’s mission is designed to overcome these difficulties. By using a transit method, Pandora can capture chemical fingerprints of external stars in front of the host star, thus providing unprecedented insights into its composition.
Pandora uses a transit method, which passes in front of its host star, allowing the starlight to filter through its atmosphere. This technique helps identify:
- Gas in the atmosphere (water vapor, methane, etc.)
- Planetary composition (rock, gaseous, cold)
- Potential livability
Source: NASA
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“By measuring the changes in starlight during transit, Pandora will reveal the chemical fingerprints of the external star’s atmosphere,” he said. Daniel Apai, a Pandora co-researcher from the University of Arizona.
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Exoplanet science
Exoplanets are not just distant worlds. They have clues about planet formation, atmospheric dynamics, and the conditions required for life. NASA has confirmed thousands of such planets, but many are still unstudied due to the complexity of atmospheric analysis.
What is an exoplanet?
All planets in the solar system revolve around the sun. Stars in orbit outside our solar system are called exoplanets. Exoplanets refer to any planet outside our solar system. The term “exoplanet” encompasses any planet that resides outside the boundaries of the solar system. Although most exoplanets orbit far away, some are called rogue planets that drift freely without gravity with any star. Detecting exoplanets with telescopes is challenging because their faint light is often obscured by the intense brightness of the stars they orbit. NASA has confirmed the potential billions of dollars that may exist.
Source: NASA
How do we find exoplanets?
Source: NASA
- “Swing method”, also known as the radial velocity method or Doppler spectroscopy, is a technique used to detect external stars (planets outside our solar system orbiting stars). It relies on the subtle gravitational influence exerted by orbital planets on host stars. As a planetary orbit, it causes the stars to swing slightly. This swing creates Doppler changes in the star’s spectrum, and astronomers can measure the existence of the planet, estimate its mass, and determine its orbital period. The Wobble method can effectively detect large planets, but is sensitive to smaller Earth-like planets.
- Another method scientists use is to find transit methods for exoplanets. They look for inclination in the brightness of the stars, which happens when in front of the planet. This method can help them find out the size of a planet, how long it will be orbiting its star, how long it will be from the star, how well it will be composed of its atmosphere, density, and whether it can support life.
- NASA’s Kepler mission operated from 2009 to 2018, is committed to discovering stars outside the super solar system, planets that spin stars, with a focus on finding planets of the Earth-sized in habitable areas. The mission uses a transit method, where the star’s brightness inclination is observed as the planet passes in front of it. Kepler has discovered thousands of exoplanet candidates, greatly expanding our understanding of planetary systems. Its discovery includes a wide range of exoplanets, including potentially habitable “Goldilocks” planets with liquid water. Kepler’s legacy includes paving the way for future exoplanet missions and inspiring new scientists and engineers to continue their search for alien life.
Source: NASA
Pandora’s special role in exoplanetary science
Although many space telescopes contribute to exoplanet discovery, Pandora is uniquely designed to refine our understanding of the atmosphere of the planet. Its long-term observations and the ability to separate stellar interference from planetary signals make it different from previous missions.
- Solve the “lucky light” problem: the light of a star interferes with signals from external activity, making water detection difficult. The phenomenon discovered in 2018 limits the capabilities of JWST. Pandora will separate astral changes from planetary signals, resulting in more accurate atmospheric analysis.
- Long-term Observation: Pandora mission will conduct extensive observations of all its designated exoplanetary targets, with each of more than 20 planets performing at least 10 separate sessions. Each observational session is planned throughout the 24-hour period to ensure comprehensive and continuous data is collected throughout the planetary night cycle.
- Supporting JWST’s discovery: The Pandora Instrument aims to distinguish between planetary signals and inherent noise generated by stars, will significantly enhance the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). By achieving more precise identification and characterization of external stars, Pandora will help improve and improve external models. This will give you a deeper understanding of the formation, evolution and atmospheric composition of planets outside our solar system.
Source: NASA
in conclusion
Pandora marks an important step in exoplanet research, providing long-term, high-precision research into distant worlds. Although JWST captures breathtaking images of the universe, Pandora patiently works to decode the atmosphere of the alien world, bringing us closer than ever to answering one final question: Are we alone in the universe?
Astronomers eagerly await Pandora’s discovery as they can reshape our understanding of habitable planets. By identifying key atmospheric components and refining JWST’s discovery, Pandora will make a significant contribution to the search for alien life.
Looking to the future
- The launch of Pandora in 2025 will expand our understanding of habitable planets.
- Future missions, along with Pandora’s data, can identify similar Earth-like planets that are suitable for living conditions.
Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Optical Illusion