Kwiinyanga ezimbalwa ezidlulileyo sifumanise isiphelo ebesikulindile UKepler, iteleskopu ethi ngexesha lobomi bayo obude isincede sazi kwaye sityhila iimfihlelo ezininzi zasemajukujukwini. Okumangalisayo kukuba, ngenxa yokusikelwa umda kwesibonakude ekusweleni kwisigaba sokugqibela, apho uninzi lwazo lwalungasasebenzi kwaye lungaluvumeli luzinze, into eyenze ukuba abaphandi balusebenzise ukufumana iiplanethi ezintsha.
Ngokuchanekileyo ngenxa yomsebenzi omkhulu owenziwe nguKepler kule minyaka idlulileyo, enkosi apho kwafunyanwa amawaka exoplanets amatshaAkumangalisi ukuba ngoku i-NASA igqibe ekubeni yenze inkqubo entsha eza kuthatha indawo kule. Njengoko bekulindelekile, iphenyo elitsha, elibhaptiziweyo ngegama likaTess, lixhotyisiwe ngezixhobo eziyimfuneko zokwenza lo msebenzi, njengoko, ngokusengqiqweni, isibonakude sendawo yaseKepler sasilela.
U-Kepler usincedile ukuba sifunde malunga nobukho be-exoplanets engaphezulu kwe-4.000
Njengesikhumbuzo, xelela ukuba uKepler wasungulwa esithubeni ngo-2009. Ukusukela ngoko isibonakude sasemajukujukwini sisincedile sazi malunga nobukho bezinto ezingaphezulu kwe-4.000 exoplanets ezingaziwayo kude kube ngulo mzuzu. Ngelishwa kuphela inani elincinci kwezi exoplanets zikwindawo ekuhlalwa kuyo. Elinye lawona manqaku anomdla asifundise wona uKepler kukuba emajukujukwini zininzi iiplanethi ezingasaziwa kuba zincinci kakhulu kwaye ukuhamba phambi kweenkwenkwezi zazo akuqondakali nezixhobo ezikhoyo kwiteleskopu.
Nangona kunjalo Tess Inokuba ligama elihle, inyani yile, kwaye njengoko kuhlala kunjalo kuyo yonke indawo yesithuba, ayikho enye into ngaphandle kwesigama segama ixesha elide kwaye kunzima ukulikhumbula. Njengeenkcukacha, xelela ukuba igama lokwenyani lale projekthi alikho elinye ngaphandle kwalelo Ukuhambisa iSatellite yeSavey Exoplanet Kwaye, eyona njongo yayo iphambili kukukhangela iiplanethi ezintsha ezingaphaya kweSolar System.
Umsebenzi kaTess unzima ngakumbi kunokuba sinokucinga
Ukwenza lo msebenzi, iprojekhthi iya kuzinikezela kulo lonke ixesha lokuphila Hlalutya umahluko ophantse ungabonakali ekukhanyeni kwenkwenkwezi. Oku kwahluka kwenzeka nje nge exoplanet edlula phambi kwenkwenkwezi. Kweli nqanaba likuthumo lukaTess, njengoko unokucinga ngoku, akukho nto yahlukileyo kuleyo yenziwa yiteleskopu yaseKepler.
Ukuchonga ubukho beeplanethi ezintsha, ukuphucula iziphumo zikaKepler, iphenyo elitsha lixhotyisiwe iikhamera ezine ezinekona elimalunga nama-24 degrees, Malunga nobubanzi benkwenkwezi iOrion. Ngombulelo kwesi sipho sobuchwephesha, iprosesa kuya kufuneka iphande ngeenkwenkwezi ezingekho ngaphantsi kwezigidi ezingama-20, ngakumbi ezona zikufutshane noMhlaba. Enkosi kolu phando, nje ukuba ukuphela kobomi benkqubo yokusebenza buye kwafika, Abadali beTess banethemba lokufumana ii-exoplanets ezintsha ezingama-20.000 ababala ngazo ezingama-500 kuphela ezinokufana noMhlaba.
I-NASA ityale i-200 yezigidi zeedola ekwenziweni nasekuvelisweni kweTess
Ukwenza iprojekthi, I-NASA kuye kwafuneka yenze utyalomali malunga nezigidi ezingama-200 zeedolaIxabiso elinokubonakala liphezulu kakhulu kodwa, ukuba silibeka kwimeko, lifikeleleka ngakumbi kunokuba sinokucinga, ngakumbi ukuba sithathela ingqalelo ukuba uKepler angene kwi-orbit, kufuneka kutyalwe imali ezizigidi ezingama-650 zeerandi. .
Kulindelwe ukuba iTess ibekwe kwi-orbit elandelayo ye-16 ka-EpreliUmhla apho irokethi ye-SpaceX Falcon 9 icwangciselwe ukuba isuswe kunye nophando olukwibhodi. Ngeenkcukacha, ndikuxelele ukuba uTess uza kujikeleza uMhlaba phakathi kwawo neNyanga. Inxalenye yokuqala yemishini iya kuhlala iminyaka emibini.