How many bright stars of the night sky harbour planets?

夜空中有多少颗明亮的星星拥有行星？

• 批准号: DP1094977
• 负责人: Prof Michael Ireland
• 金额: $ 21.58万
• 依托单位: Macquarie University
• 依托单位国家: 澳大利亚
• 项目类别: Discovery Projects
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 澳大利亚
• 起止时间: 2010-01-14 至 2013-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/RGS/Web/Grants/DP1094977
• 关键词: How; many; bright; stars; night

The search for planets around stars is one of the grand endeavours that defines the modern era of astronomy. This project will develop two innovative technologies that will lead this field into new observational terrain: high-contrast aperture masking interferometry at large telescopes, and very narrow angle astrometry at the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer. These new instruments will enable the search for planets around the bright intermediate-mass stars of our southern sky, and will target the critical orbital scales of planets at solar-system scale separations. This encompasses the habitable zone where conditions could support life, and the sample will have immediate impact on fundamental questions of planetary formation.

寻找恒星周围的行星是定义现代天文学时代的伟大事业之一。该项目将开发两项创新技术，将引领该领域进入新的观测领域：大型望远镜的高对比度孔径掩模干涉测量，以及悉尼大学恒星干涉仪的极窄角天体测量。这些新仪器将能够搜索南方天空明亮的中等质量恒星周围的行星，并将瞄准太阳系尺度分离的行星的临界轨道尺度。这涵盖了适宜生命生存的宜居带，样本将对行星形成的基本问题产生直接影响。