{"id":19172,"date":"2016-11-16T00:28:43","date_gmt":"2016-11-15T16:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/project-blue-kicks-off-1-million-crowdfunding-campaign-to-seek-out-alpha-centauris-alien-earths\/"},"modified":"2016-11-16T00:28:43","modified_gmt":"2016-11-15T16:28:43","slug":"project-blue-kicks-off-1-million-crowdfunding-campaign-to-seek-out-alpha-centauris-alien-earths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/project-blue-kicks-off-1-million-crowdfunding-campaign-to-seek-out-alpha-centauris-alien-earths\/","title":{"rendered":"Project Blue kicks off $1 million crowdfunding campaign to seek out Alpha Centauri\u2019s alien Earths"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Project
An artist\u2019s concept shows Project Blue\u2019s telescope monitoring Alpha Centauri. (Credit: Project Blue)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How much would you pay to find out whether Alpha Centauri\u2019s twin suns possess blue planets like Earth?<\/p>\n

Project Blue is hoping it\u2019s at least $10, and maybe thousands of dollars. That\u2019s the point behind the project\u2019s Kickstarter campaign, which aims to raise at least $1 million for a space telescope specifically designed to look closely at the Alpha Centauri system.<\/p>\n

\"161114-project-blue\"<\/p>\n

The runt of the Alpha Centauri family, a red dwarf known as Proxima Centauri, already has made its mark as the closest star with a potentially habitable planet. But Jon Morse, a former NASA executive who now leads the Project Blue team, argues that his project could cause even more of a splash.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we find something, there\u2019s going to be huge interest in doing more with those planets in the future,\u201d he told GeekWire.<\/p>\n

Project Blue\u2019s focus will be on Alpha Centauri A, which is a close match to our own sun; and Alpha Centauri B, which is a little cooler and redder than the sun.<\/p>\n

The plan is to build a telescope to stare at those two closely paired stars over the course of two years. Because they\u2019re so close to us in astronomical terms \u2014 a mere 4.37 light-years, or 26 trillion miles \u2014 it would be possible to get a direct image of any potentially habitable planets using a telescope that has a 20-inch-wide (0.5-meter-wide) mirror, Morse said.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, the telescope would be able to analyze the light reflected by those planets. That could tell scientists what their atmospheres are made of. If the planet shines with the right shade of blue, that would suggest it\u2019s an alien Earth.<\/p>\n

\"Simulated
This simulated image shows what Project Blue\u2019s telescope could see. A coronagraph blocks the glare of starlight in the center, making it possible to pick out potentially habitable planets that shine in characteristic wavelengths. A blue color could signal the presence of an Earthlike atmosphere and oceans. This method would work for Alpha Centauri A or B \u2013 but not for Proxima Centauri, because that red dwarf\u2019s habitable zone is too close to the star itself. (Credit: Jared Males \/ Project Blue)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Based on what scientists have found out about more distant stars, thanks to NASA\u2019s planet-hunting Kepler mission, they estimate the chances of finding a habitable, rocky planet around Alpha Centauri A or B at 85 percent.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s an irresistible proposition for Morse, the CEO and chairman of the Boldly Go Institute. NASA is likely to get around to checking out Alpha Centauri eventually, but if Project Blue gets fully funded, Morse said that could accelerate the search significantly. \u201cPeople want to go, go, go and get up there sooner,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The key is that Project Blue\u2019s telescope would be devoted solely to Alpha Centauri, rather than having to serve as an all-purpose observatory like the Hubble Space Telescope or its successor, the yet-to-be-launched James Webb Space Telescope.<\/p>\n

Hubble cost more than $1.5 billion to build, and the Webb telescope has a price tag of $8.8 billion.  In contrast, Morse expects Project Blue\u2019s mission to cost in the range of $30 million. The $1 million that\u2019s being sought in the Kickstarter campaign would fund the first phase of telescope design and development.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething like $1 million would be able to advance the ball down the field,\u201d Morse said.<\/p>\n

If more money is raised, the surplus would go toward stretch goals. And Morse is hoping a substantial fundraising success wlll persuade potential backers with deep pockets to kick in even bigger amounts. \u201cWe have a list of folks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n