As the Climate change has taken a toll on every life on this planet. Shall we start looking for others?
It will be quite difficult to accomplish as not even all the planets existing in the Goldilocks’s zone of a solar system, can be habitable. For example, in our entire solar system, the only livable planet is Earth though others lie in the same area.
Therefore, to search another planet for Humans is a tedious task, will require the search to be extended to different planet-like bodies in different Solar systems, several light-years away from Earth. These are called Exoplanets.
NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has been designed for the same purpose. It uses transit method to track which involves detecting the Exoplanet with the incoming light intensity or perceived brightness captured in human eye.
Transit method works on a basis that the orbits around any star are oriented in such a manner that when any planet periodically passes their host stars, the ground-based telescope captures them.
This drop in starlight reported caused by the planet is measured, revealing the size and orbital period of any cosmic body. It has been claimed well by Scientists at IIA, Bengaluru that through this polarization, they can even comprehend the chemical composition of these planets.
A web of earthly telescopes is used to depict a clearer picture in this research.
As per the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, the researchers use the Himalayan Chandra Telescope at Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle, Ladakh, and the Jagdish Chandra Bhattacharya Telescope at Vainu Bappu Observatory, Kavalur, Tamil Nadu, for communicating with these Exoplanets in consideration.
Any such endeavor requires detailed and accurate data from these far-off untraced bodies.
In such an attempt, a group Of Indian Astronomers belonging to Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have framed an algorithm called the critical noise treatment algorithm, that can help improve the data precision required to be comprehensible.
This algorithm works by eliminating or perhaps decreasing the contamination in signals subjected to by the Earth’s atmosphere or those attributed to the Instrumental effects etc.
Some of these are even due to the variability and pulsation of host stars, wherein the brightness varies due to concerned changes in the area and temperature of it’s surface layers.
The team was rather collating the photometric data from the stars of different planet-hosting solar systems, when it got concerned about the shortcomings in data collection.
The team said: “We got compelled to craft a noise-treatment algorithm that can treat the transit signals detected by both ground- and space-based telescopes with much better precision than ever before.”
The study surrounding this wonder algorithm got published in the ‘Astronomical Journal’, a work of American Astronomical Society (AAS).
In a demonstration of this technique, the Scientists critically analyzed the signals being obtained from the Exoplanet KELT-7 band.
The algorithm helped study and calculate the physical parameters of Exoplanet HAT-P-54 b and Exoplanet WASP-43 b.
The Jagadish Chandra Bhattacharya Telescope paired with the critical noise treatment algorithm helped obtain the signal of Exoplanet WASP-43 b.
The signals of Exoplanet HAT-P-54 b were captured by Himalayan Chandra Telescope.
Importance of studying the exoplanets:
To put something for better use, one needs a better understanding. Studying Exoplanets and their physical properties can help us calculate more precisely, how can a planet be more habitable, is there is such planet in any other Solar system and how many are there.
“We tend to talk about Earth-like planets as planets like ours is today. But our planet has been radically different throughout its history, while still supporting an abundance of life”, a Scientist explains.
“The more we study our own cosmic backyard, the more surprises we find”.
Considering that this planet is the Pandora of life and with increased advancement in Space technology, humans can aim to expand their footprint beyond, in the dark Universe.
Yet Innovation as a tool, can help achieve almost anything in cosmos, may be the very existence of this planet we are on.