Scientists have recently made a technological breakthrough that could lead to the discovery of new Earth-like planets. Researchers believe that this development will help them find a planet similar to our own that orbits a sun-like star. The breakthrough involves the development of an astrocomb by physicists, which can analyze the blue-green light emitted by stars. This technology can detect tiny variations in a star’s light created by orbiting exoplanets, potentially revealing a planet similar to Earth.
Previously, astrocombs were limited to the green-red part of the light spectrum, but the new system offers the chance to uncover more space secrets. The breakthrough was made by physicists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and Cambridge University. According to Dr. Samantha Thompson from Cambridge, this innovation will enable scientists to study smaller planets on longer orbits than ever before.
Professor Derryck Reid from Heriot-Watt University stated that the shorter wavelength light examined by the new system is rich in atomic absorption features of interest to astronomers. This new approach provides a continuous sequence of optical markers from the ultraviolet to the blue-green, serving as a precision wavelength scale in this part of the spectrum.
The technology is being developed for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in Chile’s Atacama Desert. This telescope will have a 39-meter primary mirror and will be the largest visible and infrared light telescope in the world. The UK team will also work on developing astrocombs for telescopes in South Africa and the Canary Islands. With this new technology, scientists are hopeful that they will be able to discover new Earth-like planets in the near future.