WELCOME TO THE MOVING BEYOND
EARTH GALLERY.
AND ESPECIALLY TO THE WHAT'S NEW
IN AEROSPACE PROGRAM THAT WE'VE
BEEN HOSTING HERE NOW THIS YEAR.
AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
WE ALSO WANT TO WELCOME OUR
ELECTRONIC AUDIENCE, THE NASA
NETWORK AUDIENCE.
AND TALK ABOUT A SUBJECT WHICH
ACTUALLY IS VERY DEAR, I THINK,
TO MY HEART AND THAT IS
UNDERLYING ALL OF THIS, IS THERE
LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE?
THE ANSWER TO THAT, WHAT WOULD
YOU SAY?
WHO WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER THAT
QUESTION WITH A ONE WORD?
IS THERE LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE?
JUST BLURT IT OUT.
YES.
WHERE IS IT?
HERE.
NOW FIND IT ELSEWHERE.
WE HAVE TWO GREAT SPEAKERS
TODAY.
WE HAVE TOM BARKLEY WHO IS FROM
THE AREA ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
INSTITUTE.
HE IS A SCIENTISTS WORKING ON
NASA'S COUPLER AND TAKE TWO
MISSIONS.
THAT MEANS THAT HE FINDS THESE
EXTRA SOLAR PLANETS AROUND AN
ABUND ANZ OF STARS.
THERE ARE SO MANY STARS OUT
THERE WITH PLANETS.
BUT THEN WHAT DO YOU DO WHETHER
YOU FIND THEM?
WE ALSO HAVE HANNAH
RUTH-WAKEFORD, A FELLOW AT THE
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER.
SHE'S WORKING IN THE PLANETARY
SYSTEMS LABORATORY TO SAY OKAY,
ONCE YOU FIND PLANET, DOES IT
HAVE AN ATMOSPHERE?
IS IT SUITABLE FOR LIFE?
SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO GET MY
MIND AROUND THE FACT THAT NOT
ONLY ARE WE LOOKING FOR PLANETS,
BUT WE ARE APPLYING
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNIQUES AND
INTERPRETIVE STUDIES TO THESE
EXTRA SOLAR SYSTEM.
AND SO SOONER OR LATER, WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE AN ANSWER.
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS NOW?
BECAUSE IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF ARE THERE
OTHER PLANETS AROUND OTHER STARS
AND OTHER SOLAR SYSTEM IN THE
UNIVERSE BEYOND OUR OWN?
20 YEARS AGO, 25 YEARS AGO WE
LIKED WOULD SAY, SURE.
BUT WE REALLY DON'T KNOW.
TODAY, SURE.
WE REALLY DO KNOW.
AND THAT'S BEEN A TOTALLY
EXCITING THING.
WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE
TWO PRIMARY ELEMENTS OF THE
SEARCH, THE SEARCH ITSELF AND
THEN WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE
SEARCH?
IN THIS PROGRAM TODAY.
SO I'D LIKE TO TURN FIRST TO TOM
WHO IS GOING TO TELL US ABOUT
THAT SEARCH.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
SO I'D LIKE TO SAY MY NAME IS
TOM BARKLEY AND I'M COMING OUT
OF A RESEARCH CENTER BASED IN
THE HEART OF SILICON VALLEY IN
CALIFORNIA.
WHAT I DO IS I LOOK FOR PLANETS
OR STARS OTHER THAN THE SUN.
WE CALL THESE PLANETS EXTRA
SOLAR PLANETS.
AT LEAST WE DID A FEW YEARS AGO.
EXTRA SOLAR IS TOO LONG SO NOW
WE CALL THEM EXSO PLANETS.
THEY'RE I HAVE DIFFERENT FROM
OUR OWN.
STARS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE
SUN.
FAR OUT IN THE MILKY WAY.
I'LL PUT UP SOME SLIDES.
I THINK I CAN SHOW YOU A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF FINDING
THE PLANETS AND HOW NASA IS
INVESTED IN THIS SEARCH.
SO THE FIRST PLANETS WERE FOUND
BY FIRST ORBITTING A STAR LIKE
OUR SUN THIS MONTH AGO ORBITTING
A STAR.
THESE WERE FOUND ON THE GROUND.
BUT SINCE THEN, NASA'S BEEN
SPENDING MOST OF LET SOURCES AND
TIME SEARCHING FOR PLANETS FROM
SPACE, USING SPACE TELESCOPES.
THIS STARTED WITH THE GREAT WORK
HORSE OF NASA, THE HUBBLE SPACE
TELESCOPE WHICH IS VERY FAMOUS
FOR ITS BEAUTIFUL IMAGES.
THIS STARTED THE REVOLUTION.
THEN THERE WAS A TELESCOPE THAT
I'M GOING TO DISCUSS IN A LITTLE
BIT DURING THIS TALK THAT REALLY
CHANGED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF OUR
PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE.
AND GOING ON FROM THERE, THERE'S
A K-2 MISSION WHICH IS THE NEW
LIFE AND IN THE FUTURE SOMETHING
KNOWN AS THE TEST MISSION, THE
SURVEY SATELLITE WHICH FOR THOSE
IN THIS ROOM CAN LEARN ABOUT
THIS AFTER THIS TALK IN THE BACK
HERE AND FOLLOWING UP WITH THE
NEXT GREAT OF JAMES WEBB
TELESCOPE AND THEN BEYOND THAT,
THERE ARE WHAT SOME OF THE KIDS
IN THE AUDIENCE WILL BE WORKING
ON IF THEY BECOME SCIENTISTS.
WITH THIS TALK, REALLY WHAT I
WANT YOU TO DO IS BY THE END OF
IT, KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO
HOPEFULLY FIND ALIENS.
THAT'S THE PLAN.
SO IF YOU STAY UNTIL THE END,
YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING
TO DO THIS.
MAKE NO MISTAKE, THE PEOPLE WHO
SAID THEY WANT TO GO AND
FIND
ALIENS, THEY WERE CRAZY.
BUT NOW THERE IS A WAY TO FIND
LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE.
THE WAY WE FIND PLANETS IS USING
THE TRANSIT TECHNIQUE.
THE WAY TRANSIT WORKS IS YOU
HAVE A STAR.
YOU HAVE PLANETS PASSING IN
FRONT OF THAT STAR.
THAT PLANET BLOCKS A LITTLE BIT
OF THE LIGHT COMING FROM THE
STAR.
THE STAR GETS DIM AND THE
SPACECRAFT APPEARS DIMMER.
SOME OF THE LIGHTS GO OFF.
WE KNOW A PLANET IS THERE.
WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SEE
PLANETS IN OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM,
TRANSIT THE STAR.
JUST ONCE THERE WERE ABOUT 200
YEARS, VENUS TRANSITS THE SUN
FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.
WE'RE LIVING IN A TIME WHEN THAT
JUST HAPPENED.
IF YOU MISSED IT, WELL, I HOPE
YOU'RE LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE.
YOU'RE GOING TO LIVE ANOTHER 200
YEARS TO SEE ANOTHER ONE.
BUT AT 2012, VENUS TRANSITS THE
SUN.
THIS IS A VIDEO FOR THOSE OF
THAT YOU CAN LOOK LEFT OR RIGHT
IN THE ROOM OF THE TRANSIT OF
VENUS.
YOU CAN SEE IT MOVING ACROSS THE
FACE OF THE SUN.
THE SUN ISN'T A UNIFORM
BRIGHTNESS.
IT IS ACTUALLY VERY ACTIVE AND
DYNAMIC.
A LOT OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING ON
THE SURFACE HERE.
YOU SEE THE EDGES.
IT APPEARS DIMMER TO OUR EYES.
YOU SEE IT REPEATS THE PLANET
COMING IN ACROSS THE LIMB OF THE
STAR.
THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON
THE SURFACE.
THIS IS CONVECTION THIS IS HOT
PLASMA, HOT GAS MOVING UP AND
MOVING DOWN AS THE PLANET PASSES
IN FRONT OF THE STAR.
THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT CAUSES A
NOISE OR DETECTION.
IT'S LIMITED BY HOW MUCH STUFF
IS HAPPENING ON THE SURFACE OF
THE STAR.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE DO.
WE TAKE THE LIGHT OF THE STAR.
WE WAIT FOR A PLANET TO PASS IN
FRONT OF THE STAR.
HERE'S MORE OF A REAL DATA.
THIS IS WHAT OUR SPACECRAFT
TAKES.
MANY PEOPLE WON'T SHOW REAL
DATA.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT
MORE DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET.
BUT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS A
TIME SERIES.
WE MEASURE THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE
STAR EVERY 30 MINUTES.
AND THEN IN THIS CASE, EVERY FEW
DAYS YOU SEE A REGULAR DIP.
THIS REGULAR DIP IS BECAUSE A
PLANET IS PASSING IN FRONT.
AND BY THE DEPTH OF THE DIP, YOU
CAN TELL HOW BIG THE PLANET IS.
BUT SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE A
BIGGER PLANET, YOU BLOCK MORE
STAR LIGHT.
YOU HAVE A SMALLER PLANET, YOU
BLOCK A TINY FRACTION OF THE
STAR LIGHT.
AND HOW OFTEN THE DIP HAPPENS,
YOU CAN TELL HOW OFTEN THE
PLANET GOES AROUND THE STAR.
WE CALL THIS THE ORBITAL PERIOD.
SO WHAT ARE ORBITAL PERIODS?
DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW OFTEN WE GO
AROUND OUR STAR?
A SIMPLE WORD FOR IT, A YEAR.
365 DAYS.
THAT'S HOW LONG IT TAKES US TO
GO AROUND.
PLANET GOES AREN'T STAR IN JUST
12 HOURS.
WE KNOW OTHER ONES THAT GO
AROUND THEIR STAR IN CENTURIES.
THERE'S A HUGE RANGE OF YEARS
ORBITAL PERIODS FOR OTHER
PLANETS.
SO IN ORDER TO DETECT THESE
TRANSITS, WE BUILT A SPECIAL
KIND OF SPACECRAFT, DETECTOR
THAT VERY BIG.
YOU NEED TO LOOK AT A LOT OF
STARS.
THINK ABOUT HOW TRANSIT WORKS.
YOU HAVE A STAR IN THE MIDDLE.
YOU HAVE A PLANET FURTHER OUT.
THE PLANET GOES AROUND IN A
CIRCLE OR AN ELLIPSE.
YOU NEED TO HAVE IT LINED UP
JUST RIGHT TO SEE IT.
IF IT'S ANGLED AWAY FROM YOU,
YOU SEE NO PLANET.
YOU NEED TO LOOK AT AN AWFULLY
LARGE NUMBER OF STARS TO SEE
JUST ONE TRANSIT.
IF YOU WERE TO DETECT EARTH, YOU
NEED TO LOOK AT ABOUT 200 EARTH
ANALOG SYSTEMS IN ORDER TO
DETECT ONE EARTH.
NOT BECAUSE THE CHANCE OF LINING
UP IS ABOUT ONE IN 200.
THIS MOVIE HERE IS SHOWING THE
SPACECRAFT WE BUILT WITH THIS
LARGE DETECTOR TO DETECT
PLANETS.
THE OTHER THING YOU NEED, YOU
NEED TO BE -- YOU NEED TO LOOK
AT THE FIELD FOR A VERY LONG
TIME.
SO WE LOST THE SPACECRAFT IN
2009.
WE SPENT ABOUT 3 1/2 YEARS
LOOKING AT THE SAME FIELD.
THIS IS A FIELD IN THE SKY.
YOU SEE THE MILKY WAY RUNNING
THROUGH THE MIDDLE HERE.
AND JUST ABOVE THE MILKY WAY,
YOU SEE THIS STRANGE PUDDLE THAT
IS LIKE A SQUARE WITH THE CORNER
CUT OUT.
THAT'S THE SHAPE OF OUR CAMERA.
THE PICTURE HERE IS THE PHOTO WE
TOOK OF THE SKY WITH OUR -- WHEN
OUR CAMERA WENT FIRST INTO SPACE
TO DETECT THINGS.
AND JUST ZOOMED IN THE BOTTOM
LEFT, YOU SEE SOME FUZZY BLOCKS.
THESE FUZZY BLOCKS ARE STARS.
THIS IS WHAT WE LOOK AT.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T OFTEN
SHOW DATA COMING FROM OUR
SPACECRAFT.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE TAKE
IMAGES THAT LOOK LIKE THIS THAT
ARE, TO ME, A BEAUTIFUL BUT
AREN'T AS BEAUTIFUL TO THE
PUBLIC, TO YOU GUYS.
THEY'RE NOT HUBBLE IMAGES.
THEY DON'T HAVE BEAUTIFUL
COLORS.
THEY DON'T HAVE BEAUTIFUL
FEATURES.
TO ME THIS IS AMAZING.
WE TAKE THESE UGLY IMAGES.
WE ADD UP THE STAR LIGHT.
WE FIND PLANETS.
THE WAY WE DO THIS HERE IN THE
TOP LEFT IS ONE OF THE FUZZY
BLOBS.
AND ONE OF THE READ THE STARS WE
OBSERVE.
WE MEASURE IT AND MEASURE IT AND
MEASURE IT AND REPEAT MEASURING
IT FOR YEARS AND YEARS ON END
ALL THE TIME.
WAITING FOR A PLANET TO PASS IN
FRONT.
AND WHEN IT DOES, THIS IS REAL
DATA OF THE FIRST ROCKY PLANET
WE EVER FOUND OUTSIDE OF OUR OWN
SOLAR SYSTEM.
IT WAS KNOWN AS KEPLAR 10-B.
IT WAGS LIKE EIGHT TIMES AS MUCH
AS THE EARTH AND IT IS VERY HOT.
IT IS A HOT WORLD.
IT'S NOTHING LIKE THE EARTH.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE KNEW
THERE ARE PLACES OUT THERE THAT
ARE ROCKY LIKE OUR OWN.
SO LET ME TAKE YOU A LITTLE BIT
INTO THE HISTORY OF WHERE WE
ARE.
I THINK BECAUSE WE'VE NOW KNOWN
OF THE PLANETS FOR 20 YEARS, YOU
KNOW, MANY OF YOU IN THE
AUDIENCE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN BORN
WHEN WE DIDN'T KNOW A PLANET.
AND MANY OF YOU OTHER PEOPLE IN
THE AUDIENCE SPENT TIME WITHOUT
EXTRA PLANETS EXISTING.
IT'S NICE TO LOOK BACK AND SEE
WHERE WE ARE.
UP UNTIL 1995, WE HAD OUR OWN
PLANET FROM OUR OWN SOLAR
SYSTEM, EIGHT OR NINE, DEPENDING
ON YOUR VIEW OF PLUTO.
AND WE HAD A FEW OTHER HINTS
THAT THERE MIGHT BE OTHER
PLANETS OUT THERE.
IN THE EARLY '90s, WE FOUND A
FEW PLANETS ORBITING NEUTRON
STARS.
BUT IN 1995, WE FOUND THE FIRST
PLANET ORBITING A STAR OTHER
THAN THE SUN.
THEN THE FLOODGATES REALLY
OPENED.
THIS IS WHERE WE WENT TO FROM
THE HISTORY.
I'M SHOWING A GRAPH HERE.
I'M ONLY GOING TO SHOW ONE OR
TWO GRAPHS DURING THIS TALK.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE VIA A
GRAPH.
SO THE X FACTORS HERE, THE
HORIZONTAL AXIS SHOWS THE
ORBITAL PERIOD.
THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE PLANET.
THE Y AXIS, THE VERTICAL AXIS
SHOWS HOW BIG THE PLANET IS.
YOU CAN SEE THE LINE OF EARTH.
THAT'S ONE TIMES THE SIZE OF
EARTH.
YOU CAN SEE THE LINE OF NEPTUNE.
THAT IS FOUR TIME THE SIZE OF
EARTH.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE LINE OF
JUPITER THAT, IS 11 TIMES THE
SIZE OF EARTH.
UNTIL 2009 THIS IS A PICTURE OF
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE WHEN MOST OF
THE PLANETS FALL, THE HIGH UP.
THEY'RE AT THE TOP OF THE GRAPH.
THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE THE SIZE
OF JUPITER, THAT BIG THING.
SOME OF THEM ARE VERY CLOSE IN.
THEY'RE HOT JUPITERS, THEY'RE
NOTHING LIKE OUR OWN SOLAR
SYSTEM.
SOME ARE VERY FAR OUT.
THEY'RE LIKE OUR OWN JUPITER
WHICH IS FIVE TIME THE DISTANCE
OF EARTH FROM THE SUN.
AND THEN THERE WAS A HINT, IF
YOU LOOK GOING INTO THE LOWER
LEFT, THERE ARE SOME SMALLER
PLANETS THERE, PERHAPS SOME
NEPTUNE SIZE THINGS, MAYBE A FEW
BIGGER THAN EARTH BUT VERY FEW.
SO 2009 WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW IS
THERE SPECIAL, ARE THERE PLACES
LIKE EARTH OUT THERE THAT WE
HAVEN'T FOUND YET OR ARE THERE
SIMPLY VERY FEW ROCKY PLAN
--
PLANETS THAT WE KNOW OF?
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED 2009 TO
2013.
THIS IS THE REVOLUTION OR
UNDERSTANDING OF OUR PLACE IN
THE UNIVERSE.
WE SUDDENLY WENT FROM KNOWING
THAT THERE'S NOT KNOWING OF
ANYWHERE THAT LOOKS QUITE LIKE
OUR OWN SYSTEM TO KNOWING THAT
THERE ARE PLACES THE SIZE OF
EARTH EVERYWHERE.
MOST OF THE STARS WITH YOU LOOK
AT IN THE NIGHT SKY WILL HAVE
PLANETS ORBITING THEM.
ISN'T THAT INCREDIBLE?
YOU THINK THERE ARE PLANETS OUT
THERE.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASSUMED.
WHY SHOULD WE BE SPECIAL?
HEY, WE HAVE LIFE AND LIFE IS
PRETTY SPECIAL TO ME.
SO THERE ARE PLANETS OUT THERE
EVERYWHERE.
SO EVEN MORE INCREDIBLY TO ME,
THE MOST COLORFUL ONES ARE TWICE
THE SIZE OF EARTH.
THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THESE IN
OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM.
STUDYING THEM AND UNDERSTANDING
THEM IS A REAL CHALLENGE.
WE DON'T HAVE PROXIES OF THEM IN
OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM.
THIS IS THE SIMILAR PICTURE ON A
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SCALE.
EARTH, REMEMBER, HAS ORBIT THE
STAR EVERY 365 DAYS.
ONE LINE HERE.
SO WE'RE STARTING TO FIND
TENTATIVE HINTS OR MAYBE EVEN
CANDIDATES, NOT CONFIRMED
PLANETS BUT CANDIDATE PLANETS
THAT ARE THE SIZE OF EARTH AND
ORBIT ON THE SAME ORBITAL
PERIOD.
PERHAPS THERE ARE PLACES SIMILAR
TO EARTH.
NOW A GOOD QUESTION TO ASK IS
WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT EARTH SO
MUCH?
WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT EARTH?
WELL, AS SCIENTISTS, YOU
SHOULDN'T TAKE A SAMPLE SIZE OF
ONE WHICH IS ONE PLANET WE KNOW
IS LIFE AND EXTRAPOLATE TO THE
ENTIRE UNIVERSE.
WE SHOULDN'T TAKE EARTH INTO OUR
ONE SAMPLE AND SAY EVERYONE OUT
THERE SHOULD BE LIKE EARTH.
BUT EARTH IS THE ONE PLACE WE
KNOW WITH LIFE.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY PLACE
TO START IS TO LOOK FOR PLACE
THAT'S REMIND US OF EARTH.
SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT EARTH
THAT WE THINK IS SPECIAL?
ONE, IT HAS LIQUID WATER ON THE
SURFACE.
ALL LIFE WE KNOW OF ON EARTH
REQUIRES LIQUID WATER AT SOME
STAGE IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT TO
LIVE.
SO WE LOOK FOR OTHER PLANETS, WE
LOOK FOR PLACE THAT'S CAN HOST
LIQUID WATER.
WE CALL THIS REGION THE HABITUAL
ZONE.
IT'S NOT TOO HOT THAT WATER WILL
BOIL OFF AND PERHAPS YOU'LL HAVE
A RUN AWAY GREEN HOUSE LIKE
VENUS.
IT'S ALSO NOT TOO COLD THAT
YOU'LL FREEZE OUT ALL THE WATER
AND TURN INTO A GIANT SNOWBALL.
IT'S JUST RIGHT.
IT'S THE GOLDILOCKS ZONE.
THE OTHER THING ABOUT EARTH IS
THAT IT'S JUST THE RIGHT SIZE.
IF YOU'RE TOO BIG, YOU HAVE HUGE
ENVELOPES OF GAS AROUND YOU LIKE
JUPITER.
MOSTLY HYDROGEN AND HELIUM.
HUGE AMOUNTS OF GAS THERE.
AND WHILE MAYBE THERE ARE FLYING
WHALES OR SOMETHING IN GIANT
PLANETS LIKE JUPITER, THERE IS
NOTHING LIKE LIFE ON EARTH.
SO THAT'S WHY WE LOOK FOR PLACES
THAT ARE JUST THE RIGHT SIZE,
SMALLER THAN JUPITER BUT BIGGER
THAN MARS.
MARS DOESN'T HAVE ANY LIFE.
IT HAS A LITTLE ATMOSPHERE BUT
NOT VERY MUCH.
NOT ENOUGH TO RETAIN ANY LIQUID
WATER, AT LEAST FOR A LONG TIME.
SO EARTH IS THAT NICE REGION IN
THE MIDDLE BETWEEN NOT BEING TOO
BIG OR SMALL.
SO IT IS WITH GREAT EXCITEMENT
IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR THAT WE
DETECTED THE FIRST PLANET THAT'S
THE SIZE OF EARTH AND ORBITS IN
THIS REGION CALLED THE HABITUAL
ZONE OR GOLDILOCKS ZONE.
THIS PLANET WAS KEPT FOR 186.
IT'S ONE OF FIVE PLANETS
ORBITTING A STAR THAT IS SMALLER
AND COOLER THAN THE EARTH,
SMALLER AND COOLER THAN THE SUN.
WE CALL IT A DWARF STAR.
SO THIS PLANET IS THE SAME SIZE
AS EARTH.
IT ORBITS IN THE HABITUAL ZONE.
BUT THE FIRST TIME WE'VE KNOWN
THERE ARE PLACES OUT THERE THAT
MAYBE WITH THE RIGHT KIND OF
ATMOSPHERE COULD HAVE LIQUID
WATER ON THEIR SURFACE.
THIS IS KIND OF A STORY OF WHERE
WE'VE COME FROM WITH THIS.
IT'S A RELATIVELY SHORT STORY
GIVEN THE -- YOU KNOW, HOW LONG
WE'VE BEEN AROUND AND HOW LONG
HUMAN KIND WE'VE BEEN DOING
SCIENCE.
IT'S VERY SHORT THE HISTORY OF
LEARNING ABOUT PLACES THAT
REMIND US OF HOME.
IN 2011, WE FOUND THE FIRST
PLANET THAT WAS EARTH SIZE AND
WAS ORBITING ANOTHER STAR LIKE
THE SUN.
AND THEN IN LATER THAT YEAR, WE
DISCOVERED THE FIRST PLANET IN
THE HABITUAL ZONE.
JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.
JUST FOUR YEARS AGO WE FOUND
22-B FOR THE FIRST TIME ORBITING
THE HABITUAL ZONE.
PROBABLY MAYBE A WATER WORLD.
MAYBE HAS SOME HYDROGEN AND
HELIUM GAS.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO TELL.
IT CERTAINLY UNLIKE THE SIMILAR
TO OUR ENVIRONMENT ON EARTH.
AND THEN LAST YEAR WE FOUND
186-S.
THAT WAS A BIG MOMENT, A BIG
DISCOVERY.
LATER THIS YEAR, EARLIER THIS
YEAR IN JULY THIS YEAR, WE TOOK
THE FIRST PLANET THAT
APPROXIMATELY EARTH SIZE AND
ORBIT A STAR LIKE THE SUN.
THIS IS KEPLER 452-B.
WE WERE VERY EXCITED AND SO WAS
THE MEDIA AND REPORTED VERY
HEAVILY.
SO WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS AND
WHY WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT 452-B
THIS IS THE PLANET ORBITING A
STAR LIKE OUR SUN AND THE ONE I
SHOWED YOU EARLIER.
IT'S BECAUSE THEY ORBIT VERY
DIFFERENT TYPES OF STARS AND
DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS, THIS IS
A PLAN THAET IS A LITTLE BIT
BIGGER THAN EARTH.
IT'S ABOUT 60% BIGGER.
IT ORBITS OUR EARTH LIKE THE
SUN.
NOW THEY'RE EARTH SIZE AND
ORBITING IN THE HABITUAL ZONE.
THAT IS WONDERFUL.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
NOW WE KNOW THAT.
IN ARE ALSO PLACES LIKE 186-S
THAT ARE THE HABITUAL ZONE OF
SMALLER STARS.
AND SMALLER STARS ARE VERY
EXCITING.
MOST OF OUR GALAXY IS MADE OF UP
SMALL, COOL RED DWARFS.
ABOUT 70% OF THE STARS IN OUR
GALAXY ARE MADE OF SMALL STARS.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO LOOK FOR
LIFE AND IF WE'RE GOING TO LOOK
FOR PLACES OUT THERE, THE MOST
COMMON PLANET, MOST COMMONPLACE
TO HAVE WATER ARE GOING TO BE
THESE PLANET ORBITING SMALL,
COOL STARS.
SO WE'VE GONE FROM KNOWING THAT
THERE ARE PLANETS, OR PLANETS WE
KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THEM AND
PLANETS EVERYWHERE.
HOWEVER, MOST OF THE PLANETS
FOUND BY THE MISSION ARE
RELATIVELY SMALL.
RELATIVELY FAR AWAY.
AND DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW UP.
SO NOW WE WANT TO BUILD A NEW
MISSION.
NASA'S NEXT BIG MISSION IS KNOWN
AS TEST.
NOW WE KNOW PLANETS ARE ORBITING
MOST STARS.
LET'S LOOK AT OUR NEAREST
NEIGHBORS.
LET'S LOOK AT STARS NEARBY.
STARS WE CAN FOLLOW UP FROM THE
GROUND AND FROM OTHER SPACE
MISSIONS MUCH MORE EASILY THAN
THE FAINT DISTANT STARS WE DID
WITH THIS ONE.
THIS IS WHAT TEST IS GOING TO
DO.
IT WILL LAUNCH IN 2017.
TO DEMONSTRATE THAT, LET ME SHOW
WLAU IS BASICALLY A TOP DOWN
VIEW WITH US IN THE CENTER AND
THEN THE CIRCLES SHOWING YOU AS
YOU ZOOM OUT OF OUR GALAXY, ZOOM
OUT FROM US WHAT OUR LOCAL
NEIGHBORHOOD STAR IS GOING TO BE
LIKE AND HOW WE DETECT PLANETS.
YOU'LL SEE SEVERAL DOTS THAT
SHOW WHERE WE EXPECT TO SEE
PLANETS FROM TESS.
YOU SEE THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT
POPULATIONS.
LET ME ZOOM OUT HERE.
ALL THE RED DOTS ARE TESS.
THESE ARE PLANETS WE'RE GOING TO
FIND WITH THE FUTURE TELESCOPE,
NEAREST NEIGHBORS, ONCE WE CAN
FOLLOW EASILY.
THEN YOU SEE THEY LOOKED AT ONE
PART OF THE SKY.
YOU SEE THAT CONE COMING OUT
FROM THAT REGION FROM US.
THEY FOUND ALL THE OTHER
PLANETS.
SO THERE ARE PLANETS EVERYWHERE.
TESS IS GOING TO FIND THEM AND
HOPEFULLY ONE DAY UNDERSTAND
WHAT THEY'RE MADE OF.
WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL CONE
GOING OUT INTO THE GALAXY.
AND THEN ON THE FURTHER OUT ON
THE LONGER TERM PROSPECT, WE
DETECT PLANETS RIGHT NOW BY
LOOKING FOR PROXY METHODS.
WE LOOK FOR PLANETS BLOCKING
STAR LIGHT, PRIMARILY NASA.
BUT WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO IS
IMAGE THE PLANETS THEMSELVES.
DIRECTLY IMAGING OF PLANETS.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO FOR
A SMALL NUMBER OF GIANT PLANETS
RIGHT NOW.
ONE DAY HOPEFULLY WHEN YOU KIDS
ARE IN THE AUDIENCE AND MAYBE IN
20 YEARS WE'LL BE ABLE TO IMAGE
PLANETS ORBITING STARS ON THE
EARTH SIDE AND PERHAPS IN THE
HABITUAL ZONES.
THIS IS AN IMAGE HERE SHOWING
YOU HOW WE DIRECTLY IMAGE THE
PLANET AND OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM.
THIS IS TAKING AN IMAGE OF
EARTH.
THIS IS EARTH.
THIS IS THE UPDATED IMAGE THAT
WAS TAKEN A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
SO WITH THIS DIRECT IMAGING OF
OTHER PLANETS, WE CAN MUCH MORE
EASILY SEE THE ATMOSPHERES AND
UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
THE TECHNOLOGY IS NOT THERE YET.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE
FUTURE HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF
MY CAREER WHETHER WE START TO
UNDERSTAND THESE.
OKAY.
WITH THAT, THANKS.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> I'M SURE WE HAVE SOME
QUESTIONS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE
AND ALSO ON THE NASA NETWORK.
IF ANYONE HERE HAS A QUESTION,
PLEASE COME OVER AND KATIE IS
GOING TO HELP HER WITH.
THAT BUT WE'LL START WITH THE
ONLINE QUESTIONS.
THE ONLINE -- I READ IT, RIGHT?
YEAH.
WHY CAN'T I READ IT?
WHAT FUTURE PROJECTS ARE GEARED
TOWARD THE DISCOVERY OF MORE
EXSO PLANETS?
AND IS THE TELESCOPE ABLE TO
DETECT PLANETARY TRANSITS?
DUSTIN.
>> I'LL ADDRESS THIS ONE A BIT.
SO THE NEXT THING TO DETECT A
PLAN SET ALL ABOUT FINDING OUR
NEAREST NEIGHBORS AND FOLLOWING
UP MUCH MORE EASILY.
YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
WHY THESE PLAN RETS SPECIAL.
JAMES WEBB, WHILE IT COULD
DETECT TRANCE FIT WE WANTED TO,
JAMES WEBB BUILT A VIEW WHERE IT
LOOKS IS SMALL.
REMEMBER I SAID TRANSIT, YOU
NEED TO BE LINED UP JUST RIGHT.
YOU NEED TO LOOK AT A LOT OF
STARS.
JAM WEBB, YOU DON'T LOOK AT A
LOT OF STARS.
YOU LOOK AT A FEW STARS.
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS
FIND TRANSIT FROM USING THE
TELESCOPE.
WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THEM UP
WITH JAMES WEBB TO TRY TO STUDY
ATMOSPHERES, STUDY LIGHT
REFLECTING OFF THESE PLANETS.
PICK THE BEST PLANET AND USE
JAMES WEBB TO LOOK AT THEM.
JAMES WEBB IS ALL ABOUT
FOLLOWING UP RATHER THAN
DISCOVERY.
>> WE HAVE ANOTHER ONLINE
QUESTION.
AND SO FAR NOBODY HERE HAS COME
UP WITH A QUESTION.
WHAT IS THAT QUESTION?
WHAT MUST YOU STUDY TO BECOME A
PERSON WHO STUDIES EXSO PLANETS?
GEOLOGIST?
I WANT TO FOLLOW THIS CAREER
PATH.
>> CAN YOU GO THROUGH A NUMBER
OF DIFFERENT CAREER PATHS TO GET
TO THE STAGE THAT WE ARE RIGHT
NOW.
I STUDIED PLANETARY AND SPACE
PSYCHICS AT UNIVERSITY.
SO I DID KIND OF FOLLOW THE
GEOLOGIST PATH ROUTE.
LOTS OF PEOPLE CAN DO CIVICS.
CAN YOU DO MATH.
YOU CAN GO THROUGH ENGINEERING.
FOLLOW THIS KIND OF CAREER PATH.
REALLY KIND OF SELECT YOUR WAY
THROUGH UNIVERSITY AND THROUGH
SCHOOL TO DO THE SCIENCES AND TO
DO THE CORE THINGS THAT WE
STUDY.
IT'S PHYSICS.
IT'S CHEMISTRY.
AND WITH THE BIOLOGY AS WE'RE
DOING RIGHT NOW, SO WE'RE
LOOKING AT METEORITES, HINTS AT
LIFE, THAT'S DONE THROUGH
BIOLOGY.
SO ALL OF THE SCIENCES, MATHS
AND ENGINEERING SUBJECTS ARE A
PERFECT WAY TO PAVE YOU'RE FIELD
TOWARDS THESE STUDIES.
WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE
QUESTION.
ONE FROM THE AUDIENCE, YES, SIR?
>> HI.
RECENTLY THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF
NEWS ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL THING
OR THE TRANSIT IN FRONT OF --
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THAT?
>> THE QUESTION IS ABOUT DYSON'S
SPHERES.
AND THE INFRARED DETECTABILITY
OF VERY ADVANCE CIVILIZATIONS
THAT HAVE SOMEHOW DESTROYED
PLANETARY MASSES AND DISTRIBUTED
IT AROUND THE STARS, HOST STARS
TO COLLECT ALL THE ENERGY FROM
THAT STAR IN ORDER FOR THE
CIVILIZATION TO SURVIVE.
HAVE I DEPICTED IT CORRECTLY?
WELL, YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR
THEM?
>> SO, YEAH.
IN THE NEWS RECENTLY -- WHAT WAS
ANNOUNCED IS THE STRANGEST STAR
IN OUR GALAXY.
AND THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF
STRANGE THINGS IN OUR GALAXY.
THIS IS AMONGST THE STRANGEST.
WHAT WE SEE IS WE LOOK FOR
TRANSITS.
WHAT WE SAW IS A WHOLE BUNCH OF
THINGS PASSING IN FRONT OF THE
STAR AND THEN NOTHING.
THEN 800 DAYS LATER, SOMETHING
PASSED IN FRONT OF THE STAR.
WE CAN'T EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING
ON.
WE HAVE SOME IDEAS THAT IT PROPS
COULD BE SOMETHING OR IT COULD
HAVE BEEN TWO PLANETS THAT HIT
EACH OTHER AND YOU SEE
FRAGMENTS.
IT'S NOT CLEAR YET.
THE REASON WHY THERE IS
DISCUSSION OF DYSON SPHERES IS
THE BASICALLY A WHOLE BUNCH OF
DETECTORS OF PHOTO PANELS YOU
PUT AROUND THE STAR IF YOU'RE
WAY MORE ADVANCED THAN WE ARE.
IT'S BECAUSE IT LOOKED A LITTLE
BIT LIKE WHAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT
THESE TO LOOK LIKE.
I MEAN WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT
ALIEN WAS DO.
BUT IF YOU NEED ENOUGH ENERGY,
MAYBE YOU PUT THESE AROUND.
SO ABSOLUTELY ALIENS IS THE LAST
THING YOU SHOULD GO FOR.
IF YOU RUN OUT OF THEORIES, THEN
YOU MIGHT REACH TO ALIENS.
JUST BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT MAY
LOOK LIKE, IT ALSO LOOKS LIKE A
BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS MAY LOOK
LIKE AND ALMOST CERTAINLY GOING
TO BE THOSE THINGS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULDN'T
KEEP LOOKING.
NONE OF US ARE IN THIS FIELD, I
THINK, WITHOUT US WANTING TO ONE
DAY DETECT LIFE ELSEWHERE IN THE
UNIVERSE.
>> THAT QUESTION IS A REALLY
GOOD SEGUE TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO TURN TO
HANNAH RUTH-WAKEFORD FROM
ENGLAND AND SHE IS GOING TO BE
TALKING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A PLANET
ONCE YOU FOUND IT?
>> GREAT, HI, EVERYBODY.
I CURRENTLY WORK AT NASA'S SPACE
FLIGHT CENTER IN MARYLAND.
SO JUST OUTSIDE OF D.C.
AND WHAT I'M DOING IS I'M
LOOKING TO CHARACTERIZE THESE
TYPES OF PLANETS USING THE
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE.
WHAT I'M DOING IS LOOKINGVAPOR OF THE UPPER
ATMOSPHERES AND REALLY TRYING TO
WORK OUT WHAT THEY MIGHT BE
LIKE.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF SLIDES TO
SHOW YOU WHICH IS TAKING YOU
THROUGH HOW WE DO THAT.
HOW THAT INFORMS US WHAT THE
PLANETS MIGHT BE LIKE.
TOM SHOWED YOU THIS PICTURE HERE
OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF PLANETS.
THERE REALLY ARE VERY, VERY
ALIEN PLANETS IN.
THERE NOTHING LIKE WE'RE SEEING
IN OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM.
WHAT I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT IS
THIS REGION OF PLANETS IN THE
TOP CORNER.
THESE ARE THE HOT JUPITERS.
THEY'RE CALLED HOT JUPITERS
BECAUSE THEY ARE THE SAME SIZE
OR MASS AS JUPITER.
BUT THEY ORBIT THE STARS 20
TIMES CLOSER TO THEM THAN THE
EARTH DOES TO THE SUN.
THAT'S ACTUALLY FOUR TIMES TO
EIGHT TIMES CLOSER THAN EVEN
MURCURY AND OUR OWN SOLAR
SYSTEM.
THEY HAVE INCREDIBLY HOT
ATMOSPHERES.
AND THE WAY THAT WE LOOK AT
THESE ATMOSPHERES IS BY LOOKING
AT THE STAR LIGHT THAT PASSES
THROUGH THEM BEFORE IT REACHES
US.
SO BECAUSE THESE ARE SUCH ALIEN
WORLDS, TO GET THEM YOUR HEAD A
LITTLE BIT, IMAGINE WE SH RUFRPG
THE EARTH DOWN TO THE SIDE OF A
PEA.
NOW ON THIS SCALE, LARGEST
PLANET IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,
JUPITER, WOULD BE ABOUT THE SIZE
OF A LARGE ORANGE.
THAT'S 11 TIMES THE WIDTH OF THE
EARTH.
THESE HOT JUPITERS, THESE
PLANETS THAT WE'RE FINDING,
WE'RE DISCOVERING, ORBITING VERY
CLOSE TO THE STARS ARE ON
AVERAGE 1 1/2 TIMES THE SIZE OF
THAT.
SO ABOUT THE SIZE OF A
WATERMELON.
SO THEY'RE VERY LARGE PLANETS
ORBITING VERY CLOSE TO THEIR
STARS AND THEIR ATMOSPHERES ARE
BEING HEATED BY THEIR STARS.
THEY'RE CONSTANTLY BOMBARDED
WITH THE RADIATION FROM THE
STAR.
AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY HOTTER THAN
SITTING UNDER THIS ENGINE OVER
HERE AS IT TAKES OFF.
THEY'RE INCREDIBLY HOT PLACES.
NOW WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE,
WE'RE LOOKING AT THEM IN
TRANSIT.
SO BECAUSE THEY'RE PASSING IN
FRONT OF THEIR STAR, WHAT WE CAN
DETECT IS STAR LIGHT THAT HAS
SHOWN THROUGH THAT ATMOSPHERE
BEFORE IT REACHES US.
AND WE SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS
ON THE EARTH.
THIS IS AN IMAGE TAKEN FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IN
ORBIT AROUND OUR PLANET.
AND IT IS ABLE TO LOOK THROUGH
THE EDGE OF THE EARTH'S
ATMOSPHERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING
HERE.
IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THE EDGE OF
THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE, YOU CAN
SEE THE STAR LIGHT WHICH IS
PASSED THROUGH IT BEFORE
REACHING THE CAMERA.
AND WE ARE DOING THE SAME THING
WITH THESE ALIEN PLANETS.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT VERY
SMALL AMOUNT OF STAR LIGHT WHICH
PASSED THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE
BEFORE IT REACHES OUR TELESCOPE.
AND TO PUT THIS ON SCALE, THIS
IS A SCALE DIAGRAM OF A STAR
THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND A HOT
JUPITER, A REALLY BIG PLANET
ORBITING IT AND AROUND THAT
BLACK CIRCLE IS A BLUE
ATMOSPHERE TO SCALE OF WHAT
WE'RE ABLE TO IMAGE.
YOU CAN VERY, VERY, BARELY SEE
THAT.
BUT WE'RE ABLE TO DETECT THE
LIGHT THAT HAS PASSED THROUGH
THIS VERY, VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF
ATMOSPHERE COMPARED TO THE SIZE
OF THE PLANET.
AND THE WAY THAT WE DO THAT IS
IN THE TRANSIT.
AND WHAT WE DO IS WE BREAK UP
THAT TRANSIT LIGHT THAT, LIGHT
FROM THE STAR INTO ALL OF ITS
DIFFERENT COLORS.
IF WE BREAK UP THOSE -- THAT
LIGHT INTO THE DIFFERENT COLORS,
IF WE JUST VIEW IT IN THE BLUE,
WE GET A MEASUREMENT OF THE
AMOUNT OF LIGHT BEING BLOCKED
OUT BY THAT PLANET.
IF WE THEN MEASURE IT ACROSS ALL
OF THE DIFFERENT COLORS, THE
GREEN, ORANGE, RED, WE CAN BUILD
UP A PICTURE OF HOW THE SIZE,
THE RELATIVE SIZE OF WHAT WE'RE
SEEING OF THE PLANET IS CHANGING
BECAUSE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
ATMOSPHERE, DIFFERENT THINGS IN
THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE WATER VAPOR
OR HERE SODIUM AND POTASSIUM ARE
BLOCKING OUT THAT LIGHT.
SO IF THEY'RE BLOCKING OUT THAT
LIGHT IN THE ATMOSPHERE, IT
LOOKS LIKE IT'S BIGGER.
SO IF WE BUILD UP THIS PICTURE
OF THESE PLANETS OVER THESE
DIFFERENT COLORS, WE CAN GET AN
IDEA OF WHAT IS IN THE
ATMOSPHERE ABSORBING THAT LIGHT.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE
EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE, LOTS OF
BEAUTIFUL WATER VAPOR CLOUDS,
THAT WATER VAPOR BLOCKS THE
SUN'S LIGHT DOWN TO THE SURFACE
OF THE EARTH HERE JUST BEYOND
THE RED PART OF WHAT OUR EYES
CAN SEE.
SO IF WE LOOK AT THESE PLANETS
IN THAT REGION, JUST BEYOND THAT
RED PART OF WHAT OUR EYES CAN
SEE, AND WE SEE THAT PLANET
APPEARS TO BE BIGGER, THEN WE
CAN DETERMINE THAT THERE IS
WATER VAPOR IN THAT PLANET'S
ATMOSPHERE BLOCKING THAT
SUNLIGHT, THAT STAR LIGHT FROM
US.
SO THIS IS AN IDEA OF WHAT
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLANETS MAY
HAVE IN THEIR ATMOSPHERE ACROSS
THE OPTICAL AND INTO THIS
INFRARED REGION WHERE THIS WATER
VAPOR AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE
VERY, VERY HOT PLANETS IS
BLOCKING THIS LIGHT.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO DETECT THESE
DIFFERENT MODULES FROM THE
ATMOSPHERE BY HOW MUCH LIGHT
THEY'RE BLOCKING AND WHERE
THEY'RE BLOCKING IT.
NOW I'VE GOT SOME EXAMPLES HERE
OF A SIMULATED SUNSET IN THE
ATMOSPHERE, ONE OF THE HOT
JUPITERS.
THIS IS WHAT THE SUNSET WOULD
LOOK LIKE FROM THIS PLANET.
BECAUSE WE MEASURED WHAT THE
DIFFERENCE THINGS IN THE
ATMOSPHERE ARE THAT ARE BLOCKING
THAT LIGHT.
AND THIS IS THE MEASUREMENT THAT
WE'VE TAKEN WITH THE HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE.
AND THIS SHOWS US THAT IT IS
SCATTERING LOTS OF BLUE LIGHT
JUST LIKE THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
DOES.
IT'S SCATTERING LOTS OF LIGHT,
THEN IT'S GOING TO APPEAR VERY
RED IN SUNSET.
AND IT'S MUCH, MUCH BIGGER THAN
THE EARTH'S SUNSET WHICH YOU CAN
SEE IN THE BOTTOM CORNER BECAUSE
IT IS SO MUCH CLOSER TO THE
STAR.
THE CLOSER IT, IS THE BIGGER THE
STAR APPEARS TO BE IN ITS SKY.
SO YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE COLORS
OF THE SUNSET ACROSS THE DISK OF
THE STAR BECAUSE IT'S SO CLOSE.
BUT HERE ARE REALLY ALIEN
SUNSET.
THIS IS A SUNSET ON A PLANET
CALLED HG 209458 B.
VERY FANCY NAME.
THIS IS A VERY ALIEN GREEN
SUNSET BECAUSE IT'S GOT LOTS OF
SODIUM IN ITS ATMOSPHERE.
THE SODIUM STREET LAMP YOU SEE
OUTSIDE ARE ORANGE.
THIS HAS GOT SODIUM IN THE
ATMOSPHERE, IT'S BLOCKING OUT
THOSE COLORS.
SO IF IT IS ABSORBING THE
COLORS, YOU'LL SEE ALL OF THE
OTHER COLORS.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING THESE
BLUES AND THESE GREENS.
AND, AGAIN, THE EARTH'S SUNSET
IN THE CORNER THERE TO SCALE.
AND ANOTHER REALLY STRANGE
PLANET THAT WE LOOK AT THIS IS
WHAT IS 12-B AND IT ORBITS THE
STAR IN JUST OVER A DAY.
THE YEAR JUST A BIT LONGER THAN
OUR DAYS HERE ON EARTH.
IT'S VERY CLOSE TO ITS STAR.
YOU CAN SEE IT MUCH, MUCH BIGGER
IN THE SKY.
IT'S GOT A VERY GRAY SUNSET.
IT'S A VERY CLOUDY PLANET.
LOTS OF VERY, VERY HOT MOLTEN
MATERIAL IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
WHICH IS SCATTERING ALL
DIFFERENT COLORS OF LIGHT.
SO IT BE A VERY GRAY SCALE
SUNSET.
THESE ARE THE ACTUAL DATA POINTS
THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM HUBBLE.
SO LET'S GO BACK TO OUR FRUIT
BASKET OF PLANETS.
WE WANT TO BE LOOKING AT THESE
EARTH LIKE PLANETS AND TALKING
ABOUT THESE PLANETS WHICH ARE
TWO-TIME THE SIZE OF THE EARTH.
SO OUR LITTLE BLUE PLANET.
WE'RE DETECTING THE OTHER
PLANETS WE DON'T SEE IN THE
SOLAR SYSTEM.
THE NEPTUNE 4 EARTH SIZE PLANETS
AND SMALLER.
AND THESE KIND OF GO UP TO ABOUT
THE SIZE OF AN APPLE.
SO THIS IS OUR FAMILY OF PLANETS
THAT WE'RE DISCOVERING IN OUR
GALAXY.
THESE EARTH SIZE ONES TO THESE
SUPER EARTHS, THE TWO-TIME THE
SIZE TO SIX TIMES THE SIZE AND
THEN THESE JUPITERS AND HOT
JUPITERS.
IT'S A HUGE RANGE OF PLANETS OUT
THERE THAT ARE NOTHING LIKE WHAT
WE'VE GOT AT HOME.
WHEN WE'VE GOT PLANETS IN OUR
SOLAR SYSTEM, WE CAN THROW
THINGS AT THEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FANTASTIC
AT DOING.
SEE WHAT WE CAN GET.
WE CAN'T DO THAT WITH THESE.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK.
WHAT WOULD WE EXPECT LIFE TO BE?
WHAT IN THE ATMOSPHERE IS GOING
TO TELL US THAT THERE'S LIFE?
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE HOT
JUPITERS WHERE WE GOT A HUGE
EXTENSION OF THE ATMOSPHERE DOWN
TO THE SUPER EARTHS.
THEY'RE MUCH SMALLER.
THERE SEARCH LESS ATMOSPHERE.
SO IT'S MUCH, MUCH HARDER TO DO
BECAUSE LESS LIGHT IS ABLE TO
PASS THROUGH THAT ATMOSPHERE
COMPARED TO THE REALLY, REALLY
EXPANDED PLANETS.
SO WE'VE GOT ALL OF THESE
TELESCOPES AT OUR DISPOSAL.
IN THE FUTURE, TECH WILL FIND US
MORE AND MORE PLANETS THAT WE
CAN FOLLOW UP AS TOM SAID AND
JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE IS
GOING TO ALLOW US TO
CHARACTERIZE THEM.
LOOK AT THAT ATMOSPHERE.
SEE WHAT THEY MIGHT BE MADE UP
OF.
SO, BACK TO OUR OLD VOYAGER 2
PALE BLUE DOT.
THIS IS WHAT THE EARTH LOOKS
LIKE FROM AFAR.
SUSPENDED IN A SUNBEAM ON A PILE
OF DUST.
IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE
SPECTRUM IS LIKE, LOOK AT WHAT
THE ABSORPTION, WHAT THINGS ARE
BLOCKING THAT LIGHT FOR THE
EARTH, WE SEE SOMETHING VERY
MUCH LIKE THIS.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
WE OUGHT TO KNOW WHAT EACH OF
THOSE DIFFERENT LINES MEAN.
WHAT IS BLOCKING THAT LIGHT?
YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE LOTS OF
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
ATMOSPHERE.
SO THIS VEGETATION CAUSES A VERY
SPECIFIC WAVE LENGTHS, COLOR
SIGNATURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
THE OZONE AND OXYGEN AND THE
AMOUNT OF WATER VAPOR WE HAVE IN
OUR ATMOSPHERE AND THERE IS ME
SAYING I'M OUTGASSING FROM
VOLCANOS.
SEE IF WE CAN FIND INDICATORS
FOR A BALANCE AND OFF BALANCE SO
WE PRODUCE AND THEY PRODUCE A
LOT OF THINGS.
THAT IS NOT EQUAL TO WHAT WOULD
NATURALLY BE THERE.
SO WE CAN LOOK FOR THE CHANGES,
THESE THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN
BALANCE.
AND WHAT KIND OF LIFE ARE WE
TALKING ABOUT.
LIFE IS INCREDIBLY RESILIENT.
IT WILL TRY AND TRY AND TRY
WHEREVER IT CAN TO EXIST.
THE TYPE OF LIFE WE'LL BE
TALKING ABOUT IS THESE EXTREME
FILES.
THESE THINGS THAT LIVE IN THE
WORST AND MOST HARSHEST PLACES
YOU CAN IMAGINE.
THEY LIVE IN VERY, VERY SALTY
PLACES.
THEY LIVE IN VERY, VERY HOT
PLACES, COLD PLACES, UNDERWATER
AND IN PRESSURE ENVIRONMENTS.
THIS IS FULL IN ANARCTICA.
THIS IS BECAUSE SUBSURFACE
BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL IS BEING
GROWING UNDERNEATH THE ICE AND
THEN IS PUSHED OUT TO DIFFERENT
COLORS.
IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LIFE
THAN WHAT WE EXPECT.
THERE IS THIS ONE REALLY SPECIAL
ONE CALLED THE HARD TO GRADE.
THE WATER THERE AND IF HE WERE
THIS SIZE, IT WOULD BE
ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING.
HE IS INCREDIBLY TINY.
INCREDIBLY TINY.
BUT HE IS AN ORGANISM WHICH CAN
SURVIVE EVEN IN SPACE.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO LAST
TEN DAYS IN HIBERNATION IN
SPACE.
THESE TYPES OF -- THIS TYPE OF
LIFE IS INCREDIBLY RESILIENT.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE MIGHT BE
TALKING ABOUT.
SO WE REALLY JUST NEED TO
IMAGINE ONE OF THE DIFFERENT
PLACES LIFE MIGHT THRIVE, WHERE
MIGHT WE WANT TO EXPLORE NEXT?
WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL TRAVEL POSTERS
TO MARS, TITAN, THE LARGEST MOON
AROUND SATURN HAS A HUGE
ATMOSPHERE.
IT HAS A NICE THICK ATMOSPHERE
WHERE IF YOU SLAPPED YOUR ARM
YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO FLY.
THESE TYPE OF VERY STRANGE
ORGANISMS MIGHT BE THERE.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW.
BUT THEN ALSO THINK ABOUT THESE
EXSO PLANETS WE'RE DISCOVERING.
THINK ABOUT THE ALIEN WORLDS,
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE
ATMOSPHERES AND WHERE WE MIGHT
BE GOING IN THE FUTURE.
SOME YOU MIGHT BE ONES THAT ARE
HERE TO DISCOVER THAT EXSO EARTH
AND SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE THE
ONES THAT ARE ABLE TO BUILD US
THE INSTRUMENTS AND THE SHIPS SO
THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY LIVE OUT
THESE TRAVEL POSTER IDEAS.
BUT WE NEED THE FUTURE AND WE
NEED THE ENGINEERS AND THE
SCIENTISTS TO BE WORKING ON
THIS.
AND THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT
WE CAN ANSWER ABOUT OURSELVES
AND ABOUT OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM.
SO THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS?
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> I'D LIKE TO START WITH
DIALOGUE OR MAYBE A TRIALOGUE
BETWEEN THE THREE OF US ABOUT
THIS INCREDIBLE SET OF
PERSPECTIVES.
I MEAN, 20 YEARS AGO WE COULDN'T
HAVE POSSIBLY HAD THIS
CONVERSATION.
AND WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE A
DIFFERENCE?
NOT ONLY IN DETECTING PLANETS
BUT IN CHARACTERIZING PLANETS OR
BEING ABLE TO CHARACTERIZE THE
ENVIRONMENTS FOR LIFE.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING FROM BOTH
OF YOU AS YOU TRAIN AS STUDENTS
AND SCHOLARS, WHAT WAS IT THAT
EXCITED YOU MOST SAYING YOU CAN
MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THIS
FIELD?
NOW SO IT'S SORT OF A COMPLEX
QUESTION.
WHY COULDN'T YOU DO IT MORE THAN
20 YEARS AGO?
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST 20
YEARS THAT CHANGED THINGS?
I KNOW ASTRONOMERS HAVE BEEN
TRYING TO FIND PLANETS AROUND
OTHER STARS FOR MUCH MORE THAN
20 YEARS.
AND I KNOW FOR SURE THAT THEY
THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD FOUND A
FEW PLANETS BY 1950.
AND, YET, ALL OF THOSE PLANETS
THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY FOUND
ONLY TWO OF THEM, OF COURSE, AT
THAT TIME, THEY DIDN'T TURN OUT
TO BE REAL.
AND NOW WE HAVE THOUSANDS.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST 20
YEARS?
>> WELL, 20 YEARS AGO I WOULDN'T
HAVE DONE THIS BECAUSE I WOULD
HAVE BEEN IN FIRST GRADE.
BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IS SCIENCE
FICTION IS NOW FACT.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE PLANETS
BEFORE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE -- IN FACT, THEY
DIDN'T COME UP WITH HOT
JUPITERS.
THEY WERE SO STRANGE.
WE'VE BEEN DISCOVERING THESE AND
DISCOVERING WHAT IMAGINATION CAN
STRETCH TO AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WHEN I WAS DOING MY STUDIES,
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT EXSO
PLANETS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
IT WASN'T PART OF THE CURRICULUM
AT ALL.
AND NOW IT S EVERY SINGLE CHILD
IS BEING BORN IS BORN INTO A
WORLD WHERE THESE PLANETS ARE
KNOWN AND THEY EXIST.
AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN 20 YEARS
AGO.
AND THEY'RE BEING TAUGHT, AND
THAT IS SO IMPORTANT, IT'S SO
IMPORTANT THAT THEY ARE BEING
TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS AND PEOPLE
KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN
PLACE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, WE'RE
TRYING.
TO WE'RE TRYING TO ANSWER THE
BIG QUESTIONS AND SCIENCE IS
ACTUALLY ABLE AND IN A PLACE
WHERE IT CAN ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE
TO THAT.
SO AS I WAS COMING THROUGH
UNIVERSITY, I WENT THAT'S REALLY
COOL.
I CAN ACTUALLY DO WHAT THEY DO
ON SCIENCE FICTION.
THEY'RE GOING TO OTHER PLANETS.
I'M GOING TO SEE IF THEY'RE
GOING TO PLACE THAT'S CAN EXIST.
AND THAT REALLY EXCITED ME.
>> MARVELOUS.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE?
>> I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS
WHY WE CAN FIND PLANETS NOW IS A
SMALL NUMBER OF PIONEERS 20 AND
30 YEARS AGO DARED TO BELIEVE
THERE WERE PLANETS OUT THERE AND
RISKED THEIR CAREERS AND THEIR
REPUTATIONS AND ALSO SPENT MOST
OF THEIR LIFE NOT FINDING
PLANETS BUT BELIEVING THEY'RE
OUT THERE AND JUST WILLING THEM
TO EXIST.
AND THEN THEY WERE FOUND.
ONCE THEY WERE FOUND, ALL OF US
CAN RIDE THAT WAVE OF THERE
BEING PLENTY OF INTEREST AND
MASSIVE INTEREST AND NASA'S
INTEREST AND THE GOVERNMENT
INTEREST AND THE FOUNDATION
SUPPORTING THE WORK.
BUT WITHOUT PEOPLE BELIEVING IT
WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE ARE
TODAY.
>> ONE WHAT ARE THE TECHNOLOGY
THAT'S MADE A DIFFERENCE?
WHAT WAS NOT AVAILABLE MORE THAN
20, 30 YEARS AGO THAT IS
AVAILABLE NOW?
NOT ONLY THE TECHNOLOGIES BUT
THE MODEL SET MAYBE.
DO YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF VIEW ON
THAT?
>> CERTAINLY TECHNOLOGY
IMPROVES.
I THINK IT'S A MIND SET TO DO
THIS.
SO ARE PEOPLE PROPOSING MISSIONS
THAT WOULD HAVE DETECTED PLANETS
WAY BEFORE THEY WERE DETECTED,
THERE WASN'T THIS BELIEF THAT
THEY WOULD FIND ANYTHING.
THEY THOUGHT IT WAS TOO RISKY.
ONCE WE KNEW THEY WERE THERE,
THEN WE COULD TAKE THE MUCH
SMALLER RISK OF BUILDING THESE
VERY EXPENSIVE MISSIONS TO FIND
MANY, MANY PLANETS.
>> OKAY.
QUESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE?
>> IN TERMS OF THE TOPOGRAPHY
USED TO DEFINE EXSO PLANETS,
DOES IT COME FROM THE VISUAL
SPECTRUM?
IF IT'S NOT, WHAT OFFERS THE
MOST INSIGHT INTO WHAT THE
PLANETS ARE MADE OF?
>> HE ASKED WHICH PART OF THE
SPECTRUM, WHICH PART OF THAT
COLOR SPECTRUM IS REALLY
IMPORTANT AND WHICH PART WILL
GIVE US THE MOST INFORMATION?
AT THE MOMENT, WE'RE USING THE
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE WHICH
DOES HAVE THE OPTICAL.
IT ALSO HAS THIS NEAR INFRARED
PART.
AND THAT'S CAMERA FREE.
IF YOU'RE HERE TODAY, CAN YOU GO
OUTSIDE AND SEE THE PREVIOUS TO
THE CAMERA 2 WHICH IS USED TO
LOOK AT THE FRAN RED PART WHERE
WATER ABSORPTION OCCURS.
SO MOST OF MY PHD WAS USING THAT
TO LOOK AT WATER ABSORPTION IN
THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE.
IF WE WANT TO GO FURTHER INTO
THE INFRARED, WE'RE USING SPACE
TELESCOPES TO DO THAT.
AND IT HAS TWO BANDS IN THE
INFRARED WHICH WE'RE ABLE TO
LOOK FOR THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WHAT JAMES WEBB IS GOING TO
DO FOR THE JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE
THAT, IS GOING TO GIVE COVERAGE
FROM THE OPTICAL, THE END OF THE
RED END OF THE OPTICAL ALL THE
WAY UP TO 30 MICONS.
THAT IS HEAT SIGNATURE THAT
WE'VE GOT.
SO THAT'S GOING TO REALLY EXPAND
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE
ATMOSPHERES.
WHAT IS ABSORBING THEM IN THIS
CRITICAL REGION?
WE MAY BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT YOU
CLOUDS WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT.
>> WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM THE
ONLINE AUDIENCE.
AND THAT IS BASED ON YOUR SIZE
ORBIT CHART, EARTH LOOKS TO BE A
COMPLETE OUTLIER.
IS THIS AN INDICATION OF CURRENT
TECHNICAL LIMITATION OF
OBSERVATION?
JOHN?
>> I WOULD SAY IT'S VERY LIKELY
A LIMITED OBSERVATION.
I CAN'T SAY THAT FOR SURE
BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T TRULY FOUND
ANYTHING WE WOULD SAY IS EARTH
ANALOG, A EARTH TWIN.
NOTHING THAT WOULD FILL THAT.
BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF TECHNICAL
LIMITATIONS, IN ORDER TO FIND
EARTH, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT FROM
THE RIGHT ANGLE AT THE RIGHT
STAR FOR YEARS, SEVERAL YEARS ON
END.
AND THEN YOU'D BE ABLE TO HAVE
TO MUDDLE YOUR SPACECRAFT DOING
DURING THAT TIME AND REALLY
DEVELOP YOURAL GA RHYTHMS TO
DETECT THE TINY SIGNALS.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN
DOING.
THE MAIN MISSION LASTED ABOUT
3 1/2 YEARS.
AND THE TIME SINCE 2013, ABOUT
18 MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN REALLY
WORKING ON IMPROVING OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE
SPACECRAFT IS WORKING.
IT'S IN SPACE.
YOU CAN'T GO AND MEASURE HOW
SOMEBODY REACTS TO TEMPERATURE.
YOU HAVE TO REMOTE CENSOR IT.
WE'RE IMPROVING OUR REMOTE
SENSING AND MODELS OF HOW
SPACECRAFT WORK.
WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
THE ONBOARD THINGS ARE DOING AND
WHAT IS COMING FROM THE STAR.
NOT HELPING US TO IMPROVE THIS.
>> YOU MIGHT TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT BIAS.
I DON'T MEAN BIAS IN TERMS OF
OUR OPINIONS.
BUT OUR BIAS IN TERMS OF THE
FACT THAT WE TEND TO DISCOVER
PLANETS GOING AROUND OTHER STARS
IN VERY SHORT PERIODS BECAUSE
WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR VERY LONG
TIME.
YOU BROUGHT UP THAT.
I THINK YOU NEED TO EMPHASIZE
THAT.
THAT SHORT PERIOD TRANSITS,
SHORT PERIOD VARIATIONS AND
RADIO VELOCITY ARE MORE SENSIBLE
THAN LONG PERIODS, THEY TAKE
LONGER TO DISCOVER.
AND WE'VE ONLY BEEN DOING IT FOR
A FEW YEARS, 20 YEARS IS NOT
MUCH IN AT LEAST ASTRONOMICAL
TIME.
YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT
THAT?
>> WELL, AS YOU SAID, IT'S MUCH
EASIER FOR US TO DETECT THE BIG
PLANETS.
THE BIGGER THE PLANET AND CLOSER
IT IS TO THE STAR, THE MORE
LIGHT IS BLOCKING OUT.
AND ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, THE
CLOSER IT IS TO THE STAR, THE
SMALLER IT IS.
THE SMALLER THE TIME IS BETWEEN
IT PASSING IN FRONT ONE TIME AND
COMING AROUND AND PASSING IN
FRONT AGAIN.
SO WE CAN CONFIRM THAT SOMETHING
IS PERIODICALLY BLOCKING OUT
THAT LIGHT MUCH, MUCH QUICKER.
IF IT TAKES THREE DAYS TO COME
BACK AROUND AND BLOCK OUT THAT
LIGHT AGAIN, WE CAN IN A WEEK
TELL THAT YOU IT'S BLOCKED OUT
THAT LIGHT A NUMBER OF TIME.
AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR
WHEN WE'RE CONFIRMING THESE.
THE MENTION WAS TO STAIR AT THE
STARS FOR THREE YEARS SO THAT
OVER THE THREE YEARS CAN YOU
BUILD UP FREE TRANSIT EVENTS,
FREE PERIODS WHERE IT'S BLOCKING
THAT LIGHT FOR THESE MUCH, MUCH
SMALLER PLANETS IN THESE MUCH,
MUCH WIDER ORBITS.
WE NEED TO CONFIRM THAT THE
THING THAT IS BLOCKING OUT THE
LIGHT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO DO IT
AGAIN.
SO IT IS, THEREFORE, KIND OF
INFORMED TO BE A PLANET ON AN
ORBIT, A REGULAR ORBIT.
SO IT'S EASIER FOR US TO DO THE
BIGGER ONES.
AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S
EASIER FOR US TO DETECT SMALLER
PLANETS ORBITING SMALLER STARS.
BECAUSE IT'S A RELATIVE SIZE.
WE'RE MEASURING THE AMOUNT OF
LIGHTS BEING BLOCKED OUT BY THE
RELATIVE SIZE OF THE PLANET TO
THE STAR.
SO IF THE STAR IS SMALLER, THE
AMOUNT, SAME AMOUNT OF LIGHT
THAT IS BEING BLOCKED OUT BY
BIGGER PLANET ON A BIGGER STAR
CAN BE MEASURED.
SO THESE SMALLER STARS ARE VERY
IMPORTANT FOR THESE KINDS OF
STUDIES AS WELL.
BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO GET THE
SMALLER AND SMALLER PLANETS.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT ONES
WHERE THE ORBIT IS LONGER, YOU
HAVE TO LOOK AT THE STAR FOR
LONGER.
SO IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME.
>> WHETHER PLANETS STARTED OR AT
LEAST TRANSIT STARTED TO BE
OBSERVES WITH KEPLER, THEY
CALLED THEM PLANETARY
CANDIDATES.
THEY HAD TO WAIT TO SEE IF THE
TRANSIT CAME BACK.
IS THAT RIGHT?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WE FIND THE PLANETS
THAT ARE EASIEST FIRST AND THEN
THEY GET HARDER.
SO WHEN WE FIRST FIND PLANETS,
WE FIND PLAN THAETS ARE BIG AND
CLOSE TO THEIR STAR.
AND WE WORK ON THOSE FIRST AND
THEN WE GET TO MORE DIFFICULT
ONES.
IT'S NO COINCIDENCE THE TWO BEST
PLANETS WERE FOUND FROM KEPLER
ARE ONE THAT ARE EARTH SIZE.
IT'S IN THE HABITUAL ZONE AND
ORBITS A VERY SMALL STAR.
THE OTHER ONE IS A STAR THAT IS
THE SAME SIZE AS THE SUN.
IT IS A HABITUAL ZONE.
THE PLANET SEARCH BIGGER.
YOU'RE SKIRTING AROUND THIS EDGE
OF WHERE WE CAN FIND THINGS
QUECHLT FIND BIGGER PLANETS
ORBITS SUNLIGHT STARS AND OTHERS
ORBITING SMALLER SIZE.
FINDING THE EARTH'S TRUE TWIN IS
VERY CHALLENGING INDEED.
I BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO GET
THERE.
BUT IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND WE
HONE OUR SKILLS WHERE WE CAN DO
IT MOST EASILY.
THE SAME WITH ATMOSPHERES.
WE START WITH THE ATMOSPHERES OF
THE GIANT PLANETS AND THEN ONCE
WE CAN DO THIS WE MOVE TO THE
MORE CHALLENGING REGIME OF
SMALLER WORLDS AND PROBING
ATMOSPHERES OF THESE WORLDS.
BUT THAT COMES LATER.
>> I CAN'T WAIT.
WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM THE
ONLINE AUDIENCE.
HAVE EITHER OF THE SPEAKERS BEEN
INSPIRED IN THEIR CAREER PATHS
BY SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS, TV
SHOWS, OR MOVIES, "DR.
WHO"
PERHAPS?
THEY BOTH COME FROM A CERTAIN
PART OF THE WORLD.
>> I WAS INSPIRED WHEN I WAS
GROWING UP BY "STAR GATE."
I'M KIND OF GOT THAT THERE.
"STAR GATE" IS A SHOW ABOUT
TRAVELING TO DIFFERENT PLANETS.
AND THAT REALLY -- I GREW UP IN
THE TIME WHEN THAT WAS ON
TELEVISION.
SO THAT REALLY -- AND THERE IS A
FEMALE ON THE SHOW.
I SAID I CAN DO THAT.
SO I BASICALLY STOPPED SAYING I
CAN'T DO THAT AND JUST WENT FOR
IT REALLY.
>> WONDERFUL.
>> I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY.
SCIENCE FICTION INSPIRES OUR
DISCOVERY.
I THINK THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THIS
WAS THE -- THERE ARE BOOKS
WRITTEN ABOUT SCIENCE ORBITING
TWO STARS.
THERE ARE SEVERAL OF THESE.
POLARIS IS A BOOK IN THE '30s, I
BELIEVE, A LONG TIME AGO.
LATER ON, THERE WAS "DR.
WHO"
UNIVERSE AND THEN THE STAR WARS
UNIVERSE.
ALL PLANETS ORBITING TWO STARS.
SO THEY SAID THEY'RE OUT.
THERE AND A LOT OF SCIENTISTS
SAID WELL MAYBE, PROBABLY NOT.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
THAT ENVIRONMENT YOU CAN'T FORM
BANDS AROUND.
WHO KNOWS?
GUESS WHAT?
IN 2012, KEPLER FOUND THE FIRST
PLANET ORBITING A DOUBLE STAR.
THIS IS TWO STARS AND THEY GO
AROUND THE OUTSIDE.
THIS IS SCIENCE FICTION
PREDICTING SCIENCE FACT OR
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE BEST
EXAMPLE.
HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE MORE
SCIENCE FICTION THAT WILL TURN
TO FACT AS WE GO ALONG.
>> I REMEMBER AS A STUDENT BEING
ASKED TO TRY TO COMPUTE A STABLE
ORBIT AROUND TWO STARS.
AND IT HAD TO BE THE TWO STARS
WERE VERY CLOSE TOGETHER IN THE
PLANET WAS VERY FAR AWAY.
BUT WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION
FROM THE ONLINE AUDIENCE.
IN TESS, IS TESS LIKE A LARGER
SCALE KEPLER JUST FOCUSING ON
CLOSER STARS?
CAN YOU CHARACTERIZE TESS?
>> ACTUALLY, TESS IS MORE LIKE A
SMALLER VERSION OF KEPLER IN
MANY WAYS.
YOU CAN IMAGINE SOMETHING VERY
BIG HONING IN ON A SMALL AREA OF
SPACE.
IF YOU SHRINK IT DOWN, CAN YOU
LOOK AT LARGER AREAS.
THAT'S WHAT TESS IS.
YOU SHRINK DOWN THE CAMERAS FROM
KEPLER.
YOU INCREASE THE FIELD OF VIEW.
THINK OF A MICROSCOPE.
YOU ZOOM IN ON A MICROSCOPE.
YOU GET THE MAXIMUM
MAGNIFICATION.
THAT'S SIMPLY SOMEWHAT HOW TESS
WORKS.
>> I WANT TO THANK BOTH HANNAH
AND -- OH, LORD --
TOM.
SORRY.
FOR A WONDERFUL HOUR HERE,
BECOMING, I THINK, COMFORTABLE
WITH ALL OF THE PLANETS THAT
EVIDENTLY EXIST OUT THERE.
AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK
BOEING FOR MAKING THIS PROGRAM
POSSIBLE.
AND FOR THE STAFF HERE THAT
KNOWS HOW TO MAKE LOOKING BEYOND
EARTH OR MOVING BEYOND EARTH
THIS GALLERY A GLOBAL
PHENOMENON.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
COMING.
[ APPLAUSE ]
THANK YOU.
