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Kepler Mission: Detecting Earth-sized Planets in Habitable ZonesThe Kepler Mission, which is presently in Phase A, is being proposed for launch in 5 years for a 4-year mission to determine the frequency of Earth-sized or larger planets in habitable zones in our galaxy. Kepler will be placed in an Earth-trailing orbit to provide stable physical environments for the sensitive scientific instruments. The satellite is equipped with a photometric system with the precision of 10E-5, which should be sufficient for detecting the transits of Earth-sized or larger planets in front of dwarf stars similar to the Sun. Approximately 100,000 or more sun-like stars brighter than the 14th apparently magnitude will be monitored continuously for 4 years in a preselected region of the sky, which is about 100 square degrees in size. In addition, Kepler will have a participating scientist program that will enable research in intrinsic variable stars, interacting binaries including cataclysmic stars and X-ray binaries, and a large number of solar analogs in our galaxy. Several ten thousand additional stars may be investigated in the guest observer program open to the whole world.
Document ID
20020016469
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Kondo, Yoji
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Fisher, Richard R.
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Astronomy
Meeting Information
Meeting: Millennium Philcon Conference
Country: Unknown
Start Date: August 30, 2001
End Date: September 3, 2001
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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