An artist's concept of the CoRoT satellite in orbit.
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CNES / D. Ducros

CoRoT - Searching for distant worlds

Europeans now have a satellite to study pulsating stars. The mission will also look for planets that pass in front of the stars. It is named CoRoT.

CoRoT will measure the light from many stars over time. Some stars will have planets around them. Some planets might pass in front of the star. This will cause a drop in the light CoRoT sees. The drops must be seen over and over. The color of the light should not change. The shape of the drop must be right. Then it could be a planet.

Even planets like Earth might be found with CoRoT. This is 10 times smaller than planets seen from the ground. What if it finds a planet like Earth? We can look for liquid water and green plants. Maybe even intelligent life!

Last modified April 12, 2007 by Travis Metcalfe.

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