Huge Space Telescope Needed to Seek Life on Alien Planets

Hi class,

Atendendo a pedidos, trago hoje um texto com vocabulário voltado para o concurso da AEB – Agência Espacial Brasileira. Mas, como o assunto é bem atual, é interessante para qualquer concurso. Quanto mais você ler, mais aumentará seu vocabulário. Enjoy it!

Huge Space Telescope Needed to Seek Life on Alien Planets

By Mike Wall, Senior Writer   |   July 15, 2014

While NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — which is scheduled to launch in 2018 — will be capable of finding signs of life on nearby exoplanets, a broad and bona fide hunt for life beyond Earth’s neighborhood will require bigger spacecraft that aren’t even on the agency’s books yet, experts say.

“To find evidence of actual life is going to take another generation of telescopes,” JWST telescope scientist Matt Mountain, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, said during a NASA briefing Monday (July 14). “And to do that, we’re going to need new rockets, new approaches to getting into space, new approaches to large telescopes — highly advanced optical systems.” [10 Exoplanets That Could Host Alien Life]

The $8.8 billion JWST features 18 hexagonal mirror segments that will work together to form one 21-foot-wide (6.5 meters) mirror — larger than any other mirror that’s ever flown in space, NASA officials said. (For comparison, the agency’s iconic Hubble Space Telescope sports an 8-foot, or 2.4 m, primary mirror.)

JWST is optimized to view in infrared light. The telescope should be able to do lots of different things during its operational life, researchers say, including scanning the atmospheres of alien planets for oxygen and other gases that could be produced by living organisms. (Such delicate work is best performed by space telescopes, which don’t have to look through Earth’s atmosphere.)

JWST will work in concert with another NASA space mission in this regard, performing follow-up observations on promising nearby worlds found by the agency’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which is scheduled to blast off in 2017.

“With the James Webb, we have our first chance — our first capability of finding signs of life on another planet,” MIT astrophysicist Sara Seager said during Monday’s NASA briefing. “Now nature just has to provide for us.” [5 Bold Claims of Alien Life]

A numbers game

But nature may not be so willing, at least during the JWST mission, Seager and other experts stress. And it all comes down to numbers.

There is no shortage of planets in the Milky Way. Our galaxy teems with at least 100 billion planets, 10 to 20 percent of which, Mountain said, likely circle in their host star’s “habitable zone” — that just-right range of distances that could allow liquid water to exist on a world’s surface. If there’s nothing terribly special about Earth, then life should be common throughout the cosmos, many scientists think.

But most exoplanets are very far away, and all of them are faint. JWST, while large by current standards, won’t have enough light-collecting area to investigate more than a handful of potentially habitable planets, researchers say.

A spacecraft with a 33-foot (10 m) mirror would give researchers a much better chance of finding bio signatures in alien atmospheres, but Mountain would like something even bigger.

“With a 20-meter telescope, we can see hundreds of Earth-like planets around other stars,” he said. “That’s what it takes to find life.”

Laying the foundation

There are no concrete plans to build and launch such a large space telescope, whose size would pose a number of logistical and engineering challenges. However, JWST is a potentially big step along the way to this goal.

For example, the JWST team figured out how to make mirror segments with incredible precision — a skill that could come in handy down the road.

“They’re basically perfect,” said JWST senior project scientist John Mather of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who won a Nobel Prize in 2006 for his work with the agency’s Cosmic Background Explorer satellite.

“If we were to expand the mirror to the size of the continental United States, the mirror would be accurate to within 3 inches,” Mather said. “This is completely amazing technology we have now mastered and are using.”

Source:http://www.space.com/26520-alien-life-search-space-telescopes.html

Booster Vocabulary

Translation

Huge Space Telescope Needed to Seek Life on Alien Planets

Imenso Telescópio Espacial   Necessário para Procurar Vida em Planetas Alienígenas

While NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — which is scheduled to launch in 2018 — will be capable of finding signs of life on nearby exo planets, a broad and bona fide hunt for life beyond Earth’s neighborhood will require bigger spacecraft that aren’t even on the agency’s books yet, experts say.

Embora o Telescópio Espacial James Webb (JWST) da Agência Espacial Norte- Americana (Nasa) – que está programado para lançamento em 2018 – será capaz de encontrar sinais de vida em exoplanetas próximos, se exigirá uma nave espacial maior, que não está ainda nos registros da agência, para que se busque a vida além da vizinhança da Terra de modo amplo e confiável, dizem os especialistas.

“To find evidence of actual life is going to take another generation of telescopes,” JWST telescope scientist Matt Mountain, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, said during a NASA briefing Monday (July 14). “And to do that, we’re going to need new rockets, new approaches to getting into space, new approaches to large telescopes — highly advanced optical systems.” [10 Exoplanets That Could Host Alien Life]

“Para encontrar evidências de vida real haverá outra geração de telescópios,” disse Matt Mountain, diretor do Instituto de Ciências Espaciais de Baltimore e responsável pelo projeto do telescópio James Webb, durante uma conferência da NASA na segunda-feira (14 de julho). “E para fazer isso, vamos precisar de novos foguetes, novas abordagens para entrar no espaço, novas abordagens para grandes telescópios – Sistemas óticos altamente avançados” [10 Exoplanetas que poderiam hospedar vida alienígena]

The $8.8 billion JWST features 18 hexagonal mirror segments that will work together to form one 21-foot-wide (6.5 meters) mirror — larger than any other mirror that’s ever flown in space, NASA officials said. (For comparison, the agency’s iconic Hubble Space Telescope  sports an 8-foot, or 2.4 m, primary mirror.)

O JWST, projeto de 8.8 bilhões de dólares, possui 18 segmentos de espelho hexagonais que irão trabalhar em conjunto para formar um espelho de 21 pés (6,5 metros) de largura – maior do que qualquer outro espelho que já voou no espaço, disseram os funcionários da NASA. (Para efeito de comparação, o Telescópio Espacial Hubble icônico da agência ostenta 8 pés ou 2,4 m, espelho primário.)

JWST is optimized to view in infrared light. The telescope should be able to do lots of different things during its operational life, researchers say, including scanning the atmospheres of alien planets for oxygen and other gases that could be produced by living organisms. (Such delicate work is best performed by space telescopes, which don’t have to look through Earth’s atmosphere.)

O JWST é otimizado para ver em luz infravermelha. O telescópio deve ser capaz de fazer muitas coisas diferentes durante sua vida operacional, dizem os pesquisadores, incluindo varredura das atmosferas de planetas alienígenas para oxigênio e outros gases que poderiam ser produzidos por organismos vivos. (Esse trabalho delicado é melhor executado por telescópios espaciais, que não tem que olhar através da atmosfera da Terra.)

JWST will work in concert with another NASA space mission in this regard, performing follow-up observations on promising nearby worlds found by the agency’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which is scheduled to blast off in 2017.

O JWST vai trabalhar em conjunto com outra missão espacial da NASA, a este respeito, realizando observações de acompanhamento em mundos próximos promissores encontrados pelo Satélite de Pesquisa de Exoplanetas em Trânsito (TESS) da agência, que está programado para decolar em 2017.

“With the James Webb, we have our first chance — our first capability of finding signs of life on another planet,” MIT astrophysicist Sara Seager said during Monday’s NASA briefing. “Now nature just has to provide for us.” [5 Bold Claims of Alien Life]

“Com o James Webb, temos a nossa primeira oportunidade – nossa primeira capacidade de encontrar sinais de vida em outro planeta”, disse a astrofísica Sara Seager do MIT durante uma coletiva da NASA na segunda-feira. “Agora natureza só tem que fornecer para nós.” [5 afirmações ousadas de vida alienígena]

A numbers game

Um jogo de números

But nature may not be so willing, at least during the JWST mission, Seager and other experts stress. And it all comes down to numbers.

Mas a natureza pode não está tão disposta, pelo menos durante a missão do JWST, destaca Seager e outros especialistas. E tudo se resume a números.

There is no shortage of planets in the Milky Way. Our galaxy teems with at least 100 billion planets, 10 to 20 percent of which, Mountain said, likely circle in their host star’s “habitable zone” — that just-right range of distances that could allow liquid water to exist on a world’s surface. If there’s nothing terribly special about Earth, then life should be common throughout the cosmos, many scientists think.

Não há falta de planetas na Via Láctea. Nossa galáxia está cheia de pelo menos 100 bilhões de planetas, de 10 a 20 por cento dos quais, disse Mountain, provavelmente circulam na zona “habitável” de sua estrela mãe – aquela variação de distâncias precisas que poderiam permitir que a água líquida exista na superfície de um mundo. Se não há nada terrivelmente especial sobre a Terra, então a vida deve ser comum em todo o cosmos, pensam muitos cientistas.

But most exoplanets are very far away, and all of them are faint. JWST, while large by current standards, won’t have enough light-collecting area to investigate more than a handful of potentially habitable planets, researchers say.

Mas a maioria dos exoplanetas estão muito longe, e todos eles tem a luminosidade fraca. O JWST, enquanto grande para os padrões atuais, não terá área de coleta de luz suficiente para investigar mais do que um punhado de planetas potencialmente habitáveis​​, dizem os pesquisadores.

A spacecraft with a 33-foot (10 m) mirror would give researchers a much better chance of finding bio signatures in alien atmospheres, but Mountain would like something even bigger.

Uma nave espacial com um espelho de 33 pés (10 m) daria aos pesquisadores uma chance muito maior de encontrar bio assinaturas em atmosferas alienígenas, mas Mountain gostaria de algo ainda maior.

“With a 20-meter telescope, we can see hundreds of Earth-like planets around other stars,” he said. “That’s what it takes to find life.”

“Com um telescópio de 20 metros, podemos ver centenas de planetas como a Terra em torno de outras estrelas”, disse ele. “Isso é o que é preciso para encontrar a vida.”

Laying the foundation

Estabelecendo as bases

There are no concrete plans to build and launch such a large space telescope, whose size would pose a number of logistical and engineering challenges. However, JWST is a potentially big step along the way to this goal.

Não há planos concretos para construir e lançar tal imenso telescópio espacial, cujo tamanho representaria uma série de desafios logísticos e de engenharia. Entretanto, o JWST é potencialmente um grande passo ao longo do caminho para este objetivo.

For example, the JWST team figured out how to make mirror segments with incredible precision — a skill that could come in handy down the road.

Por exemplo, a equipe do JWST descobriu como fazer segmentos de espelho com incrível precisão – uma habilidade que poderia ser bem-vinda no futuro.

“They’re basically perfect,” said JWST senior project scientist John Mather of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who won a Nobel Prize in 2006 for his work with the agency’s Cosmic Background Explorer satellite.

“Eles são basicamente perfeitos”, disse o cientista sênior do projeto JWST, John Mather do Centro de Voo Espacial Goddard da NASA em Greenbelt, Maryland, que ganhou o Prêmio Nobel em 2006 por seu trabalho com o satélite Explorador do Fundo Cósmico da agência.

“If we were to expand the mirror to the size of the continental United States, the mirror would be accurate to within 3 inches,” Mather said. “This is completely amazing technology we have now mastered and are using.”

Source:http://www.space.com/26520-alien-life-search-space-telescopes.html

“Se fôssemos ampliar o espelho para o tamanho do território continental dos Estados Unidos, o espelho teria uma precisão de 3 polegadas”, disse Mather. “Isso é tecnologia totalmente incrível que temos agora dominado e estamos usando.”

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