Revolutionary Astrocomb Technology Brings Us Closer to Discovering New Earth-Like Planets

Physicists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and Cambridge University have developed a groundbreaking technology that could potentially lead to the discovery of new Earth-like planets. This breakthrough involves the creation of an astrocomb, which allows for the analysis of the blue-green light emitted by stars. By examining shorter wavelength light, researchers hope to uncover previously unknown secrets of the universe.

Astrocombs have typically been limited to the green-red part of the light spectrum, but the new system developed by these physicists expands the possibilities within space exploration. The goal is to discover smaller planets with longer orbits, and eventually the first Earth-like planet orbiting around a nearby sun-like star.

The technology is currently being developed for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) being constructed in Chile’s Atacama Desert. This telescope will have a 39-meter primary mirror, making it one of the largest visible and infrared light telescopes in existence. The UK team involved in this project is also working on implementing astrocombs for telescopes in South Africa and the Canary Islands.

Dr. Samantha Thompson from Cambridge University expressed excitement over this new technology’s potential for studying smaller planets with longer orbits, while Heriot-Watt Professor Derryck Reid noted that it provides a continuous sequence of optical markers from ultraviolet to blue-green wavelengths, serving as a precision wavelength scale in this part of the spectrum. The potential for this new technology to lead to significant discoveries in space exploration is an exciting prospect for researchers and scientists alike.