One of the Kepler scientists visited our campus this week, and at lunch I rather indelicately brought up the reaction wheels. He had a couple of comments which surprised me. Apparently there are $105 reaction wheels and $106 reaction wheels, and the constant budget tradeoffs often mean that science missions use the $105 kind.
Apparently there are $105 reaction wheels and $106 reaction wheels, and the constant budget tradeoffs often mean that science missions use the $105 kind.
Sad to see Kepler having problems. Arguably the best SMD mission I have watched from inception to launch and mission execution.
The discovery of a strange new world about the size of Earth's moon has shattered the record for the smallest known alien planet, scientists say.The newfound alien planet Kepler-37b is the first exoplanet discovered to be smaller than Mercury. It whips around its parent star every 13 days and has a roasting surface temperature of about 800 degrees Fahrenheit (427 Celsius), researchers said. It not a promising contender for life, they added.Astronomers found Kepler-37b and two other, larger planets (called Kepler-37c and Kepler-37d) orbiting a star about 215 light-years from Earth using NASA's prolific Kepler space telescope. Finding such a small exoplanet with the Kepler spacecraft was a stretch, but some attributes of Kepler-37b's parent star made the discovery possible.
QuoteThe discovery of a strange new world about the size of Earth's moon has shattered the record for the smallest known alien planet, scientists say.
The discovery of a strange new world about the size of Earth's moon has shattered the record for the smallest known alien planet, scientists say.
PSR B1257+12A is still the record-holder for smallest planet (it's about half the size of Kepler-37b)
Could be exciting!
Regarding Kepler, my adviser has said, curiously, that Kepler should have already found the TTVs indicating hot Jupiter moons, but has not, and that this should be concerning. Is he misinformed regarding detection limits and/or minimum integration time?
Hi Prof McDowell,I spoke with you at some length at the Long Beach AAS at the exoplanet poster Hot Jupiter WASP-77Ab. Ian Crossfield of Max Planck initiated collaboration with our UA Astronomy Club and we have taken two full and three partial transits of M-dwarf Hot Neptune GJ3470b on our 61" Kuiper telescope. The Junior I stood beside (Lauren, WASP-26b) is going to be Ian's lead author on a large collaborative paper for GJ3470b. Just letting you know your encouragement bears fruit. Fund me, maybe? Robert ThompsonB.S. Astronomy UA Steward ObservatoryRegarding Kepler, my adviser has said, curiously, that Kepler should have already found the TTVs indicating hot Jupiter moons, but has not, and that this should be concerning. Is he misinformed regarding detection limits and/or minimum integration time?
We're a step closer to knowing if our galaxy is home to a multitude of planets like Earth or if we are a rarity. The three habitable zone super-Earth-size planets are in two systems containing a total of seven newly discovered planets: