Terrestrial Planet Finder

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The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) is a plan by NASA for a telescope system that would be capable of detecting extrasolar terrestrial planets.

In May 2002, NASA chose two TPF mission architecture concepts for further study and technology development. Each would use a different means to achieve the same goal—to block the light from a parent star in order to see its much smaller, dimmer planets. That technology challenge has been likened to finding a firefly near the beam of a brilliant searchlight from far away. Additional goals of the mission would include characterizing the surfaces and atmospheres of newfound planets, and looking for the chemical signatures of life. In May 2004, both architectures were approved.

The two planned architectures were:

• Infrared astronomical interferometer (TPF-I): Multiple small telescopes on a fixed structure or on separated spacecraft floating in precision formation would simulate a much larger, very powerful telescope. The interferometer would utilize a technique called nulling to reduce the starlight by a factor of one million, thus enabling the detection of the very dim infrared emission from the planets.
• Visible Light Coronagraph (TPF-C): A large optical telescope, with a mirror three to four times bigger and at least 10 times more precise than the Hubble Space Telescope, would collect starlight and the very dim reflected light from the planets. The telescope would have special optics to reduce the starlight by a factor of one billion, thus enabling astronomers to detect the faint planets.

NASA and JPL were supposed to issue calls for proposals seeking input on the development and demonstration of technologies to implement the two architectures, and on scientific research relevant to planet finding. Launch of TPF-C is anticipated to occur around 2014, and TPF-I may launch by 2020.

According to NASA's 2007 budget documentation, released on 2006-02-06^[1], the project was deferred indefinitely ^[2]. In June 2006 funding for the TPF was provided along with the long-sought mission to Europa, a moon of Jupiter that may harbor extraterrestrial life ^[3]. Thus, the mission will continue to go on schedule.

The European Space Agency, ESA, is considering a similar mission, called Darwin.

Contents 1 Top 100 TPF target stars 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Top 100 TPF target stars

[1]

Rank	Name	Constellation	Distance (ly)	Spectral type	Known planets
1	Rigil Kentaurus	Cen	4	G2V
2	Rigil Kentaurus B	Cen	4	K1V
3	Tau Ceti	Cet	12	G8V
4	Achird	Cas	19	G3V
5	Beta Hydri	Hyi	24	G2V
6	Delta Pavonis	Pav	20	G8V
7	Tabit	Ori	26	F6V
8	Gamma Leporis	Lep	29	F7V
9	Epsilon Eridani	Eri	10	K2V	1
10	Keid	Eri	16	K1V
11	Zeta Tucanae	Tuc	28	F9V
12	Zavijava	Vir	36	F9V
13	Beta Comae Berenices	Com	30	G0V
14	Gamma Pavonis	Pav	30	F6V
15	Iota Persei	Per	34	G0V
16	Epsilon Indi	Ind	12	K5V
17	Gamma Serpentis	Ser	36	F6V
18	Alsafi	Dra	19	K0V
19	Theta Persei	Per	37	F7V
20	61 Virginis	Vir	28	G6V
21	Upsilon Andromedae	And	44	F8V	3
22	Kappa Ceti	Cet	30	G5V
23	Iota Piscium	Psc	47	F7V
24	10 Tucanae	Tuc		F9IV
25	HD 102365	Cen	30	G3V
26	Zeta Doradus	Dor	38	F7V
27	Lambda Aurigae	Aur	41	G1IV
28	Asellus Primus	Boö	47	F7V
29	Psi Capricorni	Cap	48	F5V
30	Alchiba	Crv	48	F2V
31	Alpha Mensae	Men	33	G5V
32	Sigma Boötis	Boö	50	F2V
33	Eta Leporis	Lep	49	F1V
34	Beta Trianguli Australus	TrA	40	F2III
35	Xi Pegasi	Peg	53	F7V
36	HD 84117	Hya		G0V
37	47 Ursae Majoris	UMa	46	G1V	2
38	I Carinae	Car	53	F2IV
39	Nu Phoenicis	Phe	49	F8V
40	111 Tauri	Tau		F8V
41	61 Ursae Majoris	UMa	31	G8V
42	Mu Arae	Ara	50	G3IV-V	4
43	G Lupi	Lup		F5IV-V
44	Phi2 Ceti	Cet	51	F7IV-V
45	58 Ophiuchi	Oph	57	F7V
46	Tau6 Eridani	Eri	58	F3V
47	HD 147513	Sco	42	G5V	1
48	Eta Corvi	Crv	59	F2V
49	HD 5015	Cas		F8V
50	Psi5 Aurigae	Aur	54	G0V
51	72 Herculis	Her		G0V
52	τ PsA	PsA	61	F6V
53	6 Ceti	Cet		F5V
54	20 Leonis Minoris	LMi	49	G3Va
55	HD 219134	Cas	21	K3V
56	15 Leonis Minoris	LMi		G0.5Va
57	Zeta1 Reticuli	Ret	39	G2.5V
58	58 Eridani	Eri	43	G3V
59	Chi Cancri	Cnc	59	F6V
60	110 Herculis	Her		F6V
61	59 Virginis	Vir		G0Vs
62	18 Scorpii	Sco	46	G1V
63	GJ 75	Cas	32	K0V
64	HD 104304	Vir		G9IV
65	51 Pegasi	Peg	48	G2.5V	1
66	45 Boötis	Boö	64	F5V
67	Omicron Aquilae	Aqu	63	F8V
68	74 Orionis	Ori		F5IV-V
69	Iota Horologii	Hor	51	G0V	1
70	Rijl al Awwa	Vir	61	F2III
71	Alpha Chamaeleontis	Cha	63	F5III
72	HD 192310	Cap	29	K0V
73	Pi1 Ursae Majoris	UMa	46	G1.5Vb
74	Eta Crucis	Cru	64	F2III
75	HD 207129	Cyg		G0V
76	23 Camelopardalis	Cam		F8V
77	Nu2 Lupi	Lup		G4V
78	17 Cygni	Cyg		F7V
79	40 Leonis	Leo		F6IV
80	HD 53705	Aur		G3V
81	HD 55575	Lyn		G0V
82	q1 Eridani	Eri	57	F9V	1
83	HD 65907	Car		G0V
84	12 Ophiuchi	Oph		G0V
85	Gamma Doradus	Dor	66	F4III
86	HD 25457	Eri		F5V
87	Gliese 570	Lib	19	K4Ve
88	HD 33564	Cep		F6V
89	Kappa Reticuli	Ret		F5IV-V
90	22 Lyncis	Lyn		F6V
91	I Puppis	Pup		F0IV
92	HD 212330	Ind		G3IV
93	HD 91324	Vel		F6V
94	71 Orionis	Ori		F6V
95	Lambda Arae	Ara	71	F3IV
96	Psi1 Draconis	Dra	72	F5IV-V
97	Gliese 777	Cyg	59	G6IV	2
98	HD 172051	Sgr		G5V
99	HD 4391	Phe		G1V
100	Pi Mensae	Men	67	G1IV	1

[edit] See also

• Great Observatories program
• Aurelia (planet)
• CoRoT (ESA)
• Darwin (ESA)
• New Worlds Imager
• Darwin IV

[edit] References

1. ^ NASA budget statement. Planetary Society (2006-02-06). Retrieved on 2006-07-17.
2. ^ NASA President's FY 2007 Budget Request
3. ^ House subcommittee helps save our science. Planetary Society (2006-06-14). Retrieved on 2006-07-17.

[edit] External links

• Canceling NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder: The White House's Increasingly Nearsighted "Vision" For Space Exploration
• NASA Planet Quest: Terrestrial Planet Finder

Topics associated with astrobiology
Biochemistry | Cosmology | Ecology | Evolutionary biology | Extremophiles | Mars | Microbiology | Origin of life | Paleontology | Planetary habitability | Planetary science | Solar system formation | Terrestrial Planet Finder