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| | | | | | | | | Depending on the stellar type, habitable planets will be at different distances from the parent star | |
Searching for habitable planets with Eddington
31 March 2003
ESA PR 21-2003. The scientific community involved in the search for habitable planets will
meet in Palermo (Italy) on April 9-11 to take an important step towards
the discovery of other worlds which might harbour life.
The European Space Agency and the Astronomical Observatory of Palermo have
organised an international workshop, entitled “Stellar-structure and
habitable planet finding'', dedicated specifically to selection of the
single area of the sky that will be searched for habitable planets by
Eddington, the European mission due for launch at the beginning of 2008.
The workshop has attracted more than 150 participants, from most European
countries and also from the USA and Australia. In addition to the leading
scientists in the field of extra-solar planets, representatives from
several European space companies will be attending.
'Eddington' is an European astronomical space observatory currently being
developed by ESA; one of its key scientific aims is the discovery, for the
first time, of habitable planets, i.e. planets
which could harbour life as we know it on Earth. Eddington will put
European scientists in a leading position in this key scientific
challenge. It will search for habitable planets in a single area of the
sky (its 'target field'); the choice of target field is therefore a
critical decision in the mission's lifetime.
Media representatives are welcome to attend the workshop; a press lunch
will be organised on April 11, during which some of the leading scientists
attending the workshop will be available to answer questions from
journalists.
Further information about the Eddington mission, the workshop and its
outcome can be requested from:
Fabio Favata
Eddington Project Scientist
ESA, Astrophysics Division
Fabio.Favata@rssd.esa.int
Tel. +31(0)71.565.4665
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| | Related links Eddington workshopEddingtonWorkshop attendance form
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