Red Dots: Search for Terrestrial Planets continues!: Zentrum für Astronomie

06/19/2017

The new campaign of the Pale Red Dot team has put two further candidates into focus: Barnard's star and ROSS 154, both residing in our very cosmic neighbourhood. (Credit: ESO/Red Dots)

The Red Dots Project is a campaign to detect the nearest terrestrial planets to the Sun. Last year's Pale Red Dot campaign led to the discovery of an Earth mass planet orbiting our closest stellar neighbour star: Proxima Centauri.

This project in terms of scientific outcome and recognition in the media was so successful that the team applied for an extension which now includes two further stars "nearby": "Barnard's star", almost 6 light-years away, and "Ross 154", 9.7 light-years away from our sun.

Part of the team of astronomers is <link http: wwwstaff.ari.uni-heidelberg.de tsapras external-link-new-window external link in new>Dr. Yiannis Tsapras, who works as <link internal-link internal link in current>Gliese-Fellow at the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut (ARI). His primary research interests lie in the field of exoplanet science, where he uses the techniques of microlensing and transits to search for planets orbiting distant stars. He will contribute essential observations in this search for terrestrial planets around our nearest stars. These newly discovered exoplanets in our immediate Galactic neighbourhood will be prime targets for future ground and space-based missions searching for life beyond the Earth.

Further information:

ZAH scientists involved in this study:

ZAH outreach officer and contact person:

Dr. Guido Thimm
Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH)
Tel. +49 6221 54-1805
thimm(at)uni-heidelberg.de