Afternoon Astronomy Coffee Hangout 28 February
Carol Christian STScI
"TESS First Discoveries: Planets and so Much More!"
NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is an exciting mission anticipated to deliver a new catalog of extra-solar planets, many of them likely a few times the size of the Earth. Early in this stage of the mission, it delivers! From a planet about two times the size of Earth but in other ways very different (Pi Mensae c) to a rocky planet about 1.3 times Earth’s size (LHS 3884b) which is very hot being close to its star. There are more planet discoveries on the books already and the list is growing. TESS, because it can observe short changes in brightness of objects, also has measured early time light curves of least 20 supernovae! TESS will also be able to find numerous other objects such as flaring stars, comets, binaries, and others.
Join Tony Darnell and Carol Christian during Afternoon Astronomy Coffee on Thursday, 28 February at 3:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (20:00 UTC) as they discuss all these topics with investigators, Chelsea Huang, Michael Fausnaugh, and Diana Dragomir (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
During the hangout, you can take part in the live chat and join the conversation on Twitter with #AstroCoffee. An archive of previous hangouts in this series may be found in the Deep Astronomy YouTube playlist.
What Are "Afternoon Astronomy Coffee" and "Future in Space" Hangouts?
"Future In Space” and "Afternoon Astronomy Coffee" Hangouts are part of a weekly series, held every Thursday, that also includes a segment called "Footsteps to Mars." We bring the the latest research in astronomy, highlights from the future of space astronomy and astronautics planning, as well as updates on the exploration of Mars to you every week via Hangouts on Air. With the sponsorship of both the American Astronomical Society and the American Astronautical Society, our hosts Tony Darnell, Carol Christian, Alberto Conti, and Harley Thronson examine today's breakthroughs in research and peer into the unfolding possibilities of what we may learn about the universe and Mars exploration. We join with members of the American Astronomical Society to chat, in an informal online setting modeled after "science coffee" events held in universities and research organizations across the country. We will examine what we hope to learn about exoplanets, black holes, the early universe, quasars, and life in the universe along with what technologies might help us — and reflect upon the scientific endeavors occurring today that uncover amazing astrophysics and lay the groundwork for studies to come.
We will also explore the technology and engineering used today as well as possibilities for future space travel and research with members of both societies, and probe what our future in space may look like and how we might get there. We will examine the underlying technologies of space telescopes, orbiters, landers, and human space vehicles now and in the years to come. We will delve into topics that help us understand the possibilities and limitations of human space flight and eventual human colonization of other worlds.
We hope you can join us each month as we bring experts from both societies — people who think about and plan for our future in space — to your computer, tablet, or smartphone. We invite you to bring your questions and comments and get ready to learn about the amazing possibilities for the future of space astronomy and exploration.