The U.S. space agency NASA launched from Cape Canaveral on Friday Kepler telescope mounted on a Delta II rocket, on a three-year mission to find planets similar to land in areas near the Milky Way.
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The rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida (southern U.S.) at 22H49 (03h49 GMT on Saturday), according to a report from NASA and 62 minutes later entered into orbit successfully.
The rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida (southern U.S.) at 22H49 (03h49 GMT on Saturday), according to a report from NASA and 62 minutes later entered into orbit successfully.
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The separation of the third stage of the Delta II rocket as it was planned to 721.53 km in altitude.
The separation of the third stage of the Delta II rocket as it was planned to 721.53 km in altitude.
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Kepler will observe the same point in space for three and a half, or about 100,000 stars in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra in the Milky Way.
Kepler will observe the same point in space for three and a half, or about 100,000 stars in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra in the Milky Way.
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At a cost of nearly $ 600 million, will be the star of the first NASA mission to find Earth-like planets orbiting at distances similar soles able to hold water and therefore high chances of there life.
At a cost of nearly $ 600 million, will be the star of the first NASA mission to find Earth-like planets orbiting at distances similar soles able to hold water and therefore high chances of there life.
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"This mission seeks to answer a question that is as old as time - are there other planets like ours out there?" Said Ed Weiler, associate administrator of the board of NASA missions.
"This mission seeks to answer a question that is as old as time - are there other planets like ours out there?" Said Ed Weiler, associate administrator of the board of NASA missions.
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"It is not only a scientific mission is a historic mission."
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The telescope will look in particular relatively small planets, which are neither so hot nor so cold that are rocky and have liquid water, which are conditions for life to exist eseciales said William Borucki, principal investigator for the Kepler project research center NASA Ames, in California (West).
The telescope will look in particular relatively small planets, which are neither so hot nor so cold that are rocky and have liquid water, which are conditions for life to exist eseciales said William Borucki, principal investigator for the Kepler project research center NASA Ames, in California (West).
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"Kepler is a key element in NASA's efforts to discover planets that can be found similar to Earth's atmosphere," he said last month at a press conference Jon Morse, director of the Astrophysics Division of the agency space.
"Kepler is a key element in NASA's efforts to discover planets that can be found similar to Earth's atmosphere," he said last month at a press conference Jon Morse, director of the Astrophysics Division of the agency space.
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Equipped with the largest camera ever launched into space-a set of equipment of 95-megapixel CCD-known as the Kepler telescope can detect faint glow stars, barely perceptible, seen with the passage of the planets.
Equipped with the largest camera ever launched into space-a set of equipment of 95-megapixel CCD-known as the Kepler telescope can detect faint glow stars, barely perceptible, seen with the passage of the planets.
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The device weighs 1.03 tons and has a primary mirror 1.4 meters in diameter and opening of 0.95 meters.
The device weighs 1.03 tons and has a primary mirror 1.4 meters in diameter and opening of 0.95 meters.
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"If Kepler looked a little town on Earth at night from space, could detect a porch lights if someone passes in front," said project manager James Fanson.
"If Kepler looked a little town on Earth at night from space, could detect a porch lights if someone passes in front," said project manager James Fanson.
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astrophysicist Alan Boss believes that Kepler or the French satellite COROT, which has been in orbit since 2006, can find planets the size of Earth in the coming years.
astrophysicist Alan Boss believes that Kepler or the French satellite COROT, which has been in orbit since 2006, can find planets the size of Earth in the coming years.
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and discovered the smallest alien planet yet. With a little more than twice the diameter of Earth, the planet is very close to its star and is very hot, astronomers reported this month.
and discovered the smallest alien planet yet. With a little more than twice the diameter of Earth, the planet is very close to its star and is very hot, astronomers reported this month.
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The astronomer Debra Fischer of San Francisco State University, said the NASA mission is a cornerstone in understanding what types of planets formed around other stars.
The astronomer Debra Fischer of San Francisco State University, said the NASA mission is a cornerstone in understanding what types of planets formed around other stars.
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The information as required by Kepler said, "will help us to the day when we can see a pale blue dot as our planet, orbiting another star in our galaxy."
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AFP.
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