HILO — W.M. Keck Observatory is releasing a trove of data covering more than 1,600 star systems that could provide a boost to the ever-growing list of confirmed exoplanets.
HILO — W.M. Keck Observatory is releasing a trove of data covering more than 1,600 star systems that could provide a boost to the ever-growing list of confirmed exoplanets.
In addition to confirmed discoveries, the data, stretching back two decades, includes more than 100 potential new planets, according to the observatory.
Hilton Lewis, Keck director, said in a press release that sharing the data will allow astronomers everywhere to conduct their own in-depth studies.
“Our observatory is proud to be the source of these discoveries, thanks to our cutting-edge instrumentation and the unparalleled observing conditions atop Maunakea,” he said.
The data was collected using a highly specialized instrument on one of the 10-meter Keck telescopes.
The instrument detects tiny wobbles of nearby stars caused by the gravitational pull of planets.
Greg Doppmann, Keck support astronomer, told the Tribune-Herald that another technique that measures how much light the exoplanets block from their host stars will be needed to confirm their existence. He estimated about 20 percent of candidate planets are confirmed.
The question of whether any of these planets have atmospheres that support life likely will be answered by larger, next-generation observatories, such as the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope, Doppmann said.
The Subaru Telescope, also on Mauna Kea, recently installed a new instrument, Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics, that will focus on searching for exoplanets.