COROTS - update thread

[toymaker]

'm very, very happy that the launch is success.<br />A question:As far as my limited knowledge about the stars and planets, I recall that existance of planets is thought to be related to metallicity in stars. Does anybody know if this criteria been used in choosing stars to study by Corot ?

 

[holmec]

The anoucers mentioned that the craft would look at the "vibrations" of the stars. That's french for wobble. I did not hear them mention anything about the amount of metal in stars. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[holmec]

My pleasure. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[ldyaidan]

Any ideas on how long before we start getting feedback from the mission?<br /><br />Rae

 

[MeteorWayne]

Unfortunately, it is an ESA mession.<br /><br />Do not hold your breath, based on their past performance, it will be a looooonnnnggggg time <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

That a bit unfair!<br /><br />Plus this is not a pretty pictures mission. There will be a lot of data collection, reduction, processing, and analysis to do, so I think it will be a couple of years before the first results are available.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[mithridates]

I listened to the whole thing and after the launch they fielded some questions. They were unsure about when they would start getting results but the earliest is apparently supposed to be the end of January. I think observations start in about two weeks. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>----- </p><p>http://mithridates.blogspot.com</p> </div>

 

[mithridates]

Oh, and by results I mean "something interesting to tell the press", not the discovery of any planets. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>----- </p><p>http://mithridates.blogspot.com</p> </div>

 

[holmec]

I hope not. The craft is supposed to process multiple stars in a batch process. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[cuddlyrocket]

"The anoucers mentioned that the craft would look at the "vibrations" of the stars. That's french for wobble."<br /><br />No, the 'wobble' is the movement of the centre of mass due to the gravitational influence of a planet. The vibrations they're talking about are on the surface of the stars and are akin to those on a bell that has been hit by a clapper. Basically, sound waves. Measuring these enables you to deduce the properties of the star, just as in seismology on Earth.

 

[MeteorWayne]

We'll see, Jon. I hope I'm wrong! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[montmein69]

More informations related to the COROT mission :<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corot_%28space_mission%29<br /><br />The accuracy of the instruments on board enables two different targets :<br /><br />- helio seismology<br />- detection of the transit of a planet (decrease of the luminosity of the star due to a terrestrial planet or a bigger one of course)<br /><br />Corot will survey many thousand of stars.<br />If any candidate is detected, ground telescopes will study the system.<br />The OHP (Observatoire de Haute provence) got recently his new spectroscope dubbed SOPHIE<br /><br />http://www.obs-hp.fr/~reine/sophie/chapitre2-abcV2.htm <br /><br />Another spectroscope is settled at the european observatory at La Silla (Chile).<br /><br />Well done old Europe ! And a happy new year !<br /><br />http://www.obs-hp.fr/www/carte_OHP_2007.jpg <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[galactichalo]

Could this mission also be used to detect exomoons aswell !? Stellar asteroseismology is Corot's main objective, the exoplanet part is secondary, Corot's number 1 objective will be watching starquakes. COROT has the capacity to detect numerous exoplanets, not only Jupiter and Uranus-class ones, but also hot terrestrial planets, if they exist. We show that small exoplanets should be mainly gathered around 14-15th magnitude K2-M2 dwarfs and giant exoplanets around 15-16th magnitude F7-G2 dwarfs. if Corot turns out to be successful, then we will know quite a bit more about the frequency of large terrestrial planets around relatively nearby stars. I hope NASA's TPF gets funded, two big missions to look out for are ESA's Darwin and NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder

 

[montmein69]

> two big missions to look out for are ESA's Darwin and NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder<br /><br />As the aim is both the same, it could be a useful international collaboration. A nice mission to discover the Universe ... beyond.<br />And IMHO a better way to use funding for science purpose than sending men to evaluate the average diameter of the regolith on the Moon. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[montmein69]

> Could this mission also be used to detect exomoons aswell !?<br /><br />I read on the CNES website that the smaller diameter expected is twice that of the Earth.<br /><br />(in French)<br /><br />http://www.cnes.fr/web/5659-corot-offre-aux-equipes-du-cnes-le-plus-beau-des-cadeaux.php <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[montmein69]

> Another spectroscope is settled at the european observatory at La Silla (Chile). <br /><br />The european equipment at La Silla is HARPS <br /><br />http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2004/pr-22-04.html#phot-25a-04 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

{bump} see the thread in SSA on Spectacular meteor shower for the rocket body burning up over Denver this morning. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[brellis]

I hope the Fox coverage is 'fair and balanced', lol. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[montmein69]

Calibration has begun :<br /><br />http://smsc.cnes.fr/COROT/GP_actualite.htm#janv2007 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[kane007]

<b>COROT Sees First Light</b><br /><br />Enter article here.<br /><br />2007/01/25<br /><br />In the night between 17 and 18 January 2007, the protective cover of the COROT telescope has been successfully opened, and COROT has seen for the first time light coming from stars. Surveying vast stellar fields to learn about star interiors and to search for extra-solar planets is the goal of this unique mission, whose scientific observations will officially start at the beginning of February this year.<br /><br />The first light detected by COROT comes from the constellation of the Unicorn near Orion, the great 'hunter' whose imposing silhouette stands out in the winter nights. This nice image, taken during the in-orbit calibration exercise, shows that the quality of this preliminary data is basically as good as the computer simulations. "This is an excellent piece of news," commented Malcolm Fridlund, ESA Project Scientist for COROT.

 

[montmein69]

The website (CNES) of the mission with the most recent article and a better vision of the first image :<br /><br />http://smsc.cnes.fr/COROT/GP_actualite.htm#janv2007 <br /><br />And the ESA website<br /><br />http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMH7ASMTWE_index_0.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[EarthlingX]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXt8iRkAYNg[/youtube]

CoRoT reveals a magnetic activity cycle in a Sun-like star: Using data captured by the CoRoT satellite, scientists have successfully probed a distant star, using a technique called stellar seismology to monitor the star's acoustic fluctuations. They detected "starspots"-areas of intense magnetic activity on the surface that are similar to sunspots. While scientists had previously observed these magnetic cycles in other stars, this was the first time they discovered such a cycle using stellar seismology.

www2.ucar.edu : Distant star’s sound waves reveal cycle similar to the Sun’s

August 26, 2010

BOULDER—In a bid to unlock longstanding mysteries of the Sun, including the impacts on Earth of its 11-year cycle, an international team of scientists has successfully probed a distant star. By monitoring the star’s sound waves, the team has observed a magnetic cycle analogous to the Sun’s solar cycle.

The study, conducted by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and colleagues in France and Spain, is being published this week as a “Brevia” in Science.

The scientists studied a star known as HD49933, which is located 100 light years from Earth in the constellation Monoceros, the Unicorn, just east of Orion. The team examined the star’s acoustic fluctuations, using a technique called “stellar seismology.” They detected the signature of “starspots,” areas of intense magnetic activity on the surface that are similar to sunspots. While scientists have previously observed these magnetic cycles in other stars, this was the first time they have discovered such a cycle using stellar seismology.