Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule sithole isiphetho ebesikulindile Kepler, isibonakude okwathi phakathi nokuphila kwaso isikhathi eside sisisize sazi futhi sambula izimfihlo eziningi zesikhala. Ngokumangazayo, nangenxa yemikhawulo esasintuleke ngayo isibonakude ngesikhathi sesigaba sayo sokugcina, lapho ama-thrusters aso amaningi ayengasasebenzi futhi engayivumeli ukuba izinze, into eyenza abacwaningi bayisebenzisa ukuthola amaplanethi amasha.
Ngokuqondile ngenxa yomsebenzi omkhulu owenziwe uKepler eminyakeni yamuva, ngenxa yalokho izinkulungwane zama-exoplanet amasha atholakele, Akumangazi ukuthi manje i-NASA inqume ukudala uphenyo olusha oluzosebenza ukuthatha lesi. Njengoba bekulindelekile, uphenyo olusha, olubhabhadiswe ngegama likaTess, lunezinsimbi ezidingekayo zokwenza lo msebenzi othile, njengoba kunengqondo, isibonakude sesikhala saseKepler sasintula.
UKepler usisizile safunda ngokuba khona kwama-exoplanet angaphezu kwe-4.000
Njengesikhumbuzo, ngikutshele ukuthi iKepler yethulwa esikhaleni ngo-2009. Kusukela lapho isibonakude sasemkhathini sisisizile ukuba sazi ngobukhona bezingqimba ezingaphezulu kwezi-4.000 ezingaziwa kuze kube yileso sikhathi. Ngeshwa kuphela inani elincane elincane lalezi zindawo ezisendaweni ehlala abantu. Elinye lamaphuzu athakazelisa kakhulu uKepler asifundise wona ukuthi emkhathini kunamaplanethi amaningi angaziwa namanje ngoba mancane kakhulu futhi ukuhamba phambi kwezinkanyezi zawo akubonakali ngezinsimbi ezitholakala kusibonakude.
Noma kunjalo Tess Kungaba igama elihle kakhulu, iqiniso futhi njengoba kwenzeka kaningi ngayo yonke indawo yesikhala, akuyona into engaphezu kwesichazamazwi segama eside futhi okunzima ukukhumbula. Njengemininingwane, ngikutshele ukuthi igama langempela laleli phenyo alikho elinye ngaphandle kwe Ukuguqulela i-Exoplanet Survey Satellite futhi, inhloso yayo enkulu ukucinga amaplanethi amasha ngale kweSolar System.
Umsebenzi kaTess uyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu kunalokho esingakucabanga
Ukuze kwenziwe lo msebenzi, iphenyo lizozinikela kuyo yonke impilo yalo esebenzisekayo hlaziya ukuhluka okucishe kungabonakali ekukhanyeni kwenkanyezi. Lokhu kwehluka kwenzeka njengoba nje i-exoplanet idlula phambi kwenkanyezi. Kuleli qophelo elithile kumishini kaTess, njengoba kungenzeka ucabanga njengamanje, ayihlukile kuleso esenziwa yisibonakude iKepler.
Ukuze kutholakale ubukhona bamaplanethi amasha, kuthuthukiswe imiphumela kaKepler, uphenyo olusha lufakwe amakhamera amane ane-angle engaba ngama-degree angama-24, cishe ububanzi bomlaza i-Orion. Ngenxa yalesi sipho sobuchwepheshe, uphenyo kuzodingeka luphenye izinkanyezi ezingekho ngaphansi kwezigidi ezingama-20, ikakhulukazi lezo eziseduze noMhlaba. Ngenxa yalolu cwaningo, lapho ukuphela kokusebenza kwemphenyo sekufikile, Abadali bakaTess banethemba lokuthi bakwazi ukuthola ama-exoplanet amasha angama-20.000 500 abala kuwo ama-XNUMX kuphela angafana noMhlaba.
I-NASA itshale imali eyizigidi ezingama-200 ekwakheni nasekukhiqizeni iTess
Ukwenza iphrojekthi, I-NASA kudingeke ukuthi yenze imali engaba yizigidi ezingama-200 zamadola, intengo engabonakala ngathi iphakeme kakhulu kepha, uma siyibeka ngendlela efanele, ithengeka kakhulu kunalokho esingakucabanga, ikakhulukazi uma sibheka ukuthi ukuze uKepler angene emzileni, kwakufanele kutshalwe imali engaba yizigidi ezingama-650 zamaRandi. .
UTess kulindeleke ukuthi afakwe ku-orbit ngo-Ephreli 16., usuku lapho i-rocket ye-SpaceX Falcon 9 ihlelelwe ukuqala nge-probe ebhodini. Njengemininingwane, ngikutshele ukuthi uTess uzojikeleza uMhlaba maphakathi nawo neNyanga. Ingxenye yokuqala yemishini izohlala iminyaka emibili.