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SEQUENCE:0
UID:UW-Physics-Event-2174
DTSTART:20110503T203000Z
DURATION:PT1H0M0S
DTSTAMP:20260412T054329Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20110425T142839Z
LOCATION:4421 Sterling Hall
SUMMARY:The Small Star Opportunity\, Astronomy Colloquium\, Prof David
  Charbonneau\, Harvard CfA
DESCRIPTION:When exoplanets are observed to transit their parent stars
 \, we are granted direct estimates of their masses\, radii\, and (by i
 nference) composition\, and we can undertake studies of their atmosphe
 res. I will begin by	summarizing the findings of the NASA EPOXI Missio
 n\, which re-used the Deep Impact Spacecraft to conduct a search for r
 ocky worlds in a handful of known exoplanet systems. I will then repor
 t on the latest findings from	the NASA Kepler Mission\, which is condu
 cting a transit search of 160\,000<br><br>
\nSun-like stars for rocky\
 , habitable planets. I will then turn my attention to the particular o
 pportunities afforded by nearby low-mass stars: TheMEarth Project uses
  an array of modest telescopes to search such stars for planets as sma
 ll as 2 Earth radii in the stellar habitable zones. Should we succeed 
 in identifying such worlds\, their proximity to us would enable spectr
 oscopic investigations of their atmospheres with facilities such as th
 e James Webb Space Telescope.<br><br>
\n
URL:https://www.physics.wisc.edu/events/?id=2174
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