Space Missions - What is the Kepler mission

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*What is the Kepler mission?*

The Kepler mission, was a NASA space telescope mission designed to discover and study exoplanets (planets located outside our solar system) by detecting their transits, which are tiny, periodic dips in the brightness of stars when a planet passes in front of its host star as viewed from Earth. Here are the key points about the Kepler mission:

Launch and Objectives: The Kepler Space Telescope was launched on March 7, 2009, with the primary goal of identifying and characterizing Earth-sized exoplanets in or near the habitable zones of their host stars. It aimed to determine how common such planets are in our galaxy, the Milky Way.

Transit Method: Kepler observed a fixed field of view in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra and continuously monitored the brightness of approximately 150,000 stars. It looked for subtle, periodic decreases in brightness caused by exoplanets passing in front of their stars. This method is known as the transit method.

Discoveries: Over its mission lifetime, Kepler made groundbreaking discoveries. It identified thousands of candidate exoplanets and confirmed the existence of more than 2,600 exoplanets. Some of these exoplanets were Earth-sized and located within their star's habitable zones, making them potential candidates for hosting liquid water and, possibly, life.

Exoplanet Diversity: Kepler's observations revealed a wide diversity of exoplanets, including rocky planets, gas giants, and planets with unique characteristics. It also detected binary star systems with planets and planets in very close orbits around their stars.

Mission Challenges: Kepler faced challenges during its mission, including issues with reaction wheel failures, which temporarily interrupted its observations. Engineers developed innovative techniques, such as the "K2" mission, to continue exoplanet hunting by using the pressure of sunlight to help stabilize the spacecraft.

Kepler's Legacy: Kepler significantly expanded our understanding of exoplanets and their prevalence in the Milky Way. It provided crucial data for characterizing exoplanets' sizes, orbits, and densities. Many of the exoplanets it discovered continue to be studied by subsequent missions.

Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS): Kepler paved the way for future exoplanet missions like NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which launched in 2018. TESS is conducting an all-sky survey to find exoplanets orbiting the brightest and nearest stars.

Kepler's mission was a testament to the power of space telescopes and the determination of scientists and engineers to explore the cosmos. It revolutionized the field of exoplanet research and continues to inspire ongoing efforts to study these distant worlds and search for signs of habitability and life beyond our solar system.
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