| An unmanned Nasa mission to search the sky for Earth-like planets with the potential to host life has launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Kepler telescope will orbit the Sun to watch a patch of space thought to contain about 100,000 stars like ours. It will look for the slight dimming of light from these "suns" as planets pass between them and the spacecraft. [This is explained later; don't worry.] Controllers took their first opportunity to launch the probe, at 0349GMT (2249EST) on 7 March. Kepler blasted off atop a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.  Kepler will use the largest camera system ever launched into space | "This is a historical mission; it's not just a science mission," said Dr Edward Weiler, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at Nasa. [This said in an attempt to make a "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" caliber saying.] "I maintain that it really attacks some very basic human questions that have been part of our genetic code since that first man or woman looked up into the sky and asked the question: 'are we alone?'." [I'm pretty sure they didn't ask that. They thought we were alone. It would go against everything they thought to say that we weren't alone. They even developed Geocentric views of the world so that we would be alone. I for one, blame Science Fiction for the idea that we aren't alone.] Equipped with the largest camera ever launched into space, it is the first mission designed to find rocky worlds orbiting Sun-like stars. Planets located in a warm zone - known as the habitable zone - might host liquid water on their surfaces. [The real question is when will it get to the first star? A couple million years? Don't they need hyperdrive to get to other habitable planets?] And where there is liquid water, scientists argue, there is at least the potential for life. 'Flea in headlights' Of the 300-plus extrasolar planets discovered to date, only a handful are thought to be rocky like the Earth, and none are Earth-mass. The vast majority are gas giants like Jupiter or so-called ice giants like Neptune. [There's a very neat scientific video on this subject at the Creation Museum, I recommend anyone in the Ohio area visit and watch it.] This is thought to be due to the technological limitations of current telescope technology, rather than a lack of Earth-mass planets in our galaxy. Kepler will detect the periodic dimming of stars caused by transiting planets.  | THE KEPLER SPACE TELESCOPE: -Will study more than 100,000 suns -Continuously for 4 to 6+ years -Tuned to see Earth-size planets -Will target the habitable zone -Also see Mars to Jupiter sizes -First results within 3 months | Some star systems are oriented in such a way that their planets cross in front of their stars, as seen from Earth's point of view. During these transits, the planets cause their star's light to slightly dim, or wink. [Speaking of which, Jupiter has been able to be seen, and should continue to be in the sky for a little while still.] The orbiting observatory can register changes in brightness of only 20 parts per million. "If Kepler were to look down at a small town on Earth at night from space, it would be able to detect the dimming of a porch light as somebody passed in front," said James Fanson, Kepler project manager at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. [This thing would be one sweet spy satalite.] He commented: "Trying to detect Jupiter-size planets crossing in front of their stars is like trying to measure the effect of a mosquito flying by a car's headlight. "Finding Earth-sized planets is like trying to detect a very tiny flea in that same headlight." [Please, I can see that with my naked eye.] William Borucki, Kepler chief scientist from Nasa's Ames Research Center in California, said: "We will monitor a wide range of stars; from small cool ones, where planets must circle closely to stay warm, to stars bigger and hotter than the Sun, where planets must stay well clear to avoid being roasted."  Closer to home: Venus is pictured making a transit of our Sun
If the mission does find Earth-size planets in the habitable zones of stars, it should find them first around suns that are smaller than our own. In the case of small stars, this habitable zone is located closer in, so planets circling in this comfortable region will take less time to complete one lap. This means it will take less time for Kepler to find them and for other ground telescopes to confirm their existence. Any Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zones of stars the size of our Sun would take at least three years to be confirmed. [Unless someone discovers hyperdrive!] The telescope has a very large field of view, which it needs in order to observe the necessary large number of stars. Kepler will stare at the same star field for the entire mission monitoring the brightnesses of more than 100,000 stars for the mission's three-and-a-half-year lifetime. [Anyone know what'll happen to Kepler in 3 1/2 years? If it were up to me, I'd totally fly it into the sun.] The spacecraft will be launched into an orbit where it will drift behind Earth as it circles the Sun. This will ensure our planet does not block the stars which need to be observed continuously by the observatory. Getting answers Dr Borucki suggested the mission could make major contributions to understanding other star systems, including the unresolved question of how they form. But he cautioned that the knowledge still to be accumulated was vast. "If you look at the giant planets, we have found 340 of these. People say: 'Why would you need any more?' [Among these people was the Pope himself who said, "Today we tend to be a greedy society; always wanting more than we need."] "My guess is that by understanding giant planets and small planets we are going to make dramatic discoveries about other planetary systems. But I don't expect us to have all the answers in three-and-a-half years." [You're expectations will be met.] Finding Earth-size planets is one thing, confirming life - even simple microbial life - exists on them is another matter altogether; and will require future telescopes capable of seeing trace gasses in the planets' atmospheres that are a possible signature for biology. [And to think we were/are looking for it on Mars.] "We certainly won't find ET but we might find ET's home by looking at all of these stars," said Bill Borucki. [ET phone home?] Why aren't they spending their time trying to develope hypserdrives!? Le'me take a moment to inform you all of the view that I hold regarding Science Fiction type Realism: Here's how it is: In about five hundred years, the earth will get used up. They will begin terraforming a whole new galaxy of earth. Some, rich and flush with new technologies. Some... not so much. The Central Planets, will form an alliance, and will wage war to bring everyone under their rule. A few idiots will try and fight them, amoung them -- Malcolm Reynolds. Malcolm Reynolds, will be the Captain of the Serenity. Serenity will be a transport ship, a firefly class. She'll have a good crew: Fighters, pilot, mechanic. They'll even manage to pick up a peacher, for some reason, and a bona fide companion. There'll be a doctor, too. He'll take his genius sister out of some alliance camp, they'll be keeping a low profile. You understand. If someone has a job, they'll do it. They won't much care what it is. But a little history on Cap't Reynolds: He was brought up on a ranch on the planet Shadow. He later served as a sergeant for the Independent Faction and fought in the Unification War against the Alliance. After the overwhelming defeat of the Independants he traveled to the more primitive distant planets, where he acquired his own ship: Serenity. | 
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No wiggle room whatsoever... but other leaders have left the door slightly more ajar
