Worlds Beyond: A Strategy For The Detection And Characterization Of Exoplanets Executive Summary Of A Report Of The Exoplanet Task Forceastronomy And Astrophysics Advisory Committee Washington, Dc June 23, 2008

摘要

We stand on a great divide in the detection and study of exoplanets. On one side of this divide are the hundreds of known massive exoplanets, with measured densities and atmospheric temperatures for a handful of the hottest exoplanets. On the other side of the divide lies the possibility, as yet unrealized, of detecting and characterizing a true Earth analogue-an Earth-like planet (a planet of one Earth mass or Earth radius orbiting a Sun-like star at a distance of roughly one astronomical unit). This ExoPlanet Task Force Report describes how to bridge the divide. The recommendations emphasize immediate investment in tech- nology and space mission development that will lead to discovering and characterizing Earth analogues.