On 4th July 2020, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS) of National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) completed its primary mission of imaging 75% of the starry sky during the two-year survey and found 66 new exoplanets beyond the solar system, and around 2100 candidates on which the astronomers are working on to confirm among others.
About Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS):
i.The NASA Astrophysics Explorer mission led and operated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts.
ii.It was managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
iii. TESS the exoplanet-hunting Space telescope was launched into the Earth’s orbit in April 2018.
Features:
i.TESS uses the Transit Method to monitor the stars for brightness dip caused by planets orbiting across the stars.
ii.To study the 24 by 96-degree sector of the sky for 1 month, TESS uses 4 cameras.
iii.On an extended mission through September 2022, TESS will continue to study the space.
iv.During the 1st year the primary mission of the probe is to scrutinize the 13 sectors of the southern sky and during the 2nd year TESS tool images of the northern sky.
Discoveries:
i.Discovered a newly minted planet, revolving AU Microscopii, a young star.
ii.Found a Neptune sized planet orbiting two suns.
iii.Observed the outburst of a comet in the solar system and multiple exploding stars.
iv.TESS observed a black hole shredding a sun like star in a distant galaxy.
Recent Related News:
i.The images of the comet Neowise (C/2020 F3), were captured by NASA astronaut Bob Behnken from the International Space Station (ISS) camera, which was discovered by the Neowise space telescope.
ii.The researchers spotted a Jupiter-like planet, 39 times more massive than the Earth, orbiting around a distant star with temperature lower than the Sun, the planet is located around 730 light years away from Earth. The astronomers named the planet TOI-849b. This is the first ever planetary core to be found by the astronomers.
About NASA:
Administrator– James Frederick Bridenstine or “Jim” Bridenstine
Headquarters– Washington, United States of America
