On 11 September 2020, BMUCO welcomed Roger Hunter, Program Manager at NASA Ames Research Center, for a talk on the Kepler Space Telescope mission and future NASA exoplanet initiatives.
Staring at the Stars
"Kepler revolutionized our understanding by staring at a single patch of sky for years, detecting the tiny dimming as planets pass in front of distant stars."
The discussion covered how Kepler revolutionized our understanding of planetary systems by staring at a single patch of sky for years, detecting the tiny dimming of stars as planets pass in front of them—a technique that has confirmed thousands of worlds orbiting distant suns.
The Transit Method
Kepler's ingenious approach—known as the transit method—works by:
- Continuous monitoring: Watching the same stars for years
- Detecting dimming: Measuring tiny drops in brightness when planets cross in front
- Statistical analysis: Confirming patterns that indicate orbiting worlds
- Characterization: Determining planet size, orbit, and basic properties
This technique has revealed that planets are common in our galaxy—nearly every star hosts at least one world.
Beyond Discovery
Hunter outlined how next-generation missions build on Kepler's statistical foundation to characterize individual exoplanet atmospheres and search for biosignatures that could indicate life beyond Earth.
Future observatories will analyze the light passing through exoplanet atmospheres during transits, looking for chemical signatures like:
- Oxygen and ozone
- Methane
- Water vapor
- Other molecules that might indicate biological activity
The search for life has moved from science fiction to rigorous scientific investigation, guided by Kepler's groundbreaking census of alien worlds.
Watch the full discussion:
youtube.com/watch?v=G2FGrJzpD6w