For humanity, 2021 is drawing to a close. But for astronomy, some things are just getting started!
The highly anticipated James Webb Space Telescope (webb telescope), which is about to launch, is one of the most anticipated scientific instruments of all time, promising to give us a retrospective look back at the universe more than 13 billion years ago and reveal the atmospheres of exoplanets orbiting other stars.
On the 11th, the Webb Space Telescope was placed on top of the Ariane 5 rocket. Image source: Physicists Organization Network
But that's not the end of the story! In the coming years, several more epic astronomical instruments will take off one by one, unveiling the mysteries of the universe from multiple angles.
In a recent report by the British "New Scientist" magazine website, we have revealed three of the most anticipated space observation platforms that are expected to be launched by 2034.
Plato's exoplanet search platform
Estimated launch date: 2026
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Planetary Transits and Stellar Oscillations (PLATO) space telescope will search for 1 million extrasolar stars, detect and characterize planets orbiting these stars, and measure the radius range, mass, and age of these exoplanets with high precision.
Plato's exoplanet search platform. Image source: The website of the British magazine New Scientist
Scientists have previously launched similar exoplanet Hunters, but these telescopes can only see planets that are close to the star, and Plato's "gaze" stays on each star for a longer period of time, giving the opportunity to detect planets that are farther away from the star and have a longer orbital period.
In addition, Plato is special in that it focuses on searching for "clues" of rocky exoplanets in the habitable region of the exostellar system, which is a narrow region of the star system where the temperature is suitable for liquid water. It carries devices capable of characterizing such objects, telling scientists how similar they are to Earth.
According to the ESA, the data provided by Plato will help scientists solve key questions, such as how do planets in the Milky Way form and evolve? The probability of the existence of rocky planets adapted to the multiplication of life, etc.
Planetary "Hunter" Roman Space Telescope
Estimated launch date: 2025
Like the Webb Telescope, the Nancy Grace Rome Space Telescope (hereinafter referred to as the Rome Telescope), named after NASA's first chief astronomer and the mother of hubble, is also an infrared telescope. However, unlike the Webb telescope, which focuses on detail, the Roman telescope looks at the big picture, which has a panoramic view of more than 100 times that of Weber.
Nancy Grace Rome Space Telescope. Image source: The website of the British magazine New Scientist
In the first 5 years after its launch, the Roman telescope will photograph the cosmic region more than 50 times the region that Hubble photographed in the 30 years after launch, resulting in the first wide-area infrared cosmic map. It is hoped that this will help unravel mysteries such as the "true identity" of dark matter and dark energy. Currently, astronomers can see the effects of these substances on the universe, but cannot explain exactly what they are "sacred."
Astronomers also expect the mission to find a wide variety of planets using microlenses and transit methods when surveying a large number of stars in the Milky Way. About three-quarters of these planets are expected to become gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, or icy giants like Uranus and Neptune. Most of the rest are likely to be planets 4 to 8 times the size of Earth, the so-called Little Neptune — no similar planet in our solar system.
In addition, in order to further improve the observation efficiency of the Roman Telescope, a team of NASA engineers is planning to launch a follow-up space equipment , "Star Shadow". The petal-shaped spacecraft can fly with the telescope, blocking light from the sun and helping the telescope see nearby darker planets.
Laser interferometry space antenna
Estimated launch date: 2034
In 2015, scientists detected gravitational waves for the first time. So far, we've seen gravitational waves from collisions between black holes and neutron stars. The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), led by ESA, will be a space gravitational wave detector much larger than existing ground-based gravitational wave detectors.
Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Image source: The website of the British magazine New Scientist
Like the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory and the Virgo Gravitational Wave Detector, LISA will detect gravitational waves by sensing multiple tiny variations in the length of a fixed laser beam, as gravitational waves can be disturbed over time and disrupt the structure of space-time.
LISA will consist of three spacecraft arranged in a triangular shape, 2.5 million kilometers apart. The three spacecraft will be located at L1 Lagrange point, a gravitational midpoint between the Earth and the Sun, about 1 million kilometers from Earth. It will use the subtle effects of gravitational waves from planets in other galaxies on their parent stars, allowing scientists to discover new planets outside the Milky Way.
Source: Science and Technology Daily