Launched in 2018, NASA’s TESS space telescope has discovered over 2,200 candidate planets orbiting bright, nearby stars, including hundreds of “smaller” planets, with many being rocky worlds in some many ways similar to Earth. The data gathered will allow the next generation of space telescopes, like the European Space Agency’s ARIEL, to explore many of these planets in even greater detail to help us better understand exoplanet composition, formation, and migration. Read more for two videos and additional information.
The first step is to confirm the existence of many in the catalog that remain candidate planets. Currently, approximately 120 have been confirmed with dozens more on the way. These confirmations require ground-based observations using gravitational measurements, high-resolution imaging, and stellar characterization.
- Powerful reflector telescope: The Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ telescope is a powerful reflector telescope for astronomy beginners. It features fully-coated glass optics, a sturdy and lightweight frame, 2 eyepieces, a StarPointer red dot finderscope and an adjustable tripod.
- High-quality 130mm optics: The heart of the system is a 130mm glass optic objective lens. The AstroMaster mount features 2 slow-motion control knobs that allow you to make precision adjustments. Resolution (Rayleigh)- 1.07 arc seconds
- Quick setup & lightweight frame: This telescope for kids and adults to be used together features a lightweight frame manual German Equatorial mount for smooth and accurate pointing. Setup is quick and easy, with no tools required for assembly. Height adjustment range (includes mount and tripod): 812.8mm - 1295.4mm (32" - 51")
- Included accessories: We’ve included 2 eyepieces (20mm and 10mm), a travel tripod, and a StarPointer red dot finderscope. Accessories also include a FREE download of one of the top consumer rated astronomy software programs.
- Unbeatable warranty and customer support: Buy with confidence from the telescope brand, based in California since 1960. You’ll also receive a 2-year warranty and unlimited access to technical support from our team of US-based experts.
The exciting thing is to look at the map of TESS exoplanets as a kind of to-do list – with 2,000 things on it. It’s an incredible body of work – a rich stockpile of exoplanet candidates for the community to mine and explore for years to come,” said Natalia Guerrero, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Jessie Christiansen, a research scientist at NASA’s Exoplanet Science Institute.