Space Chat: Dr. Steffen Talks Kepler and Exoplanets

What if you could see worlds far away, beyond our own solar system? That's what the Kepler Space Telescope has done, finding over 2, 000 new planets, or exoplanets. Dr. Jason Steffen, a physics professor from UNLV, was on episode 137 of This Week In Space to talk about Kepler's mission. Launched in 2009, Kepler spent four years searching for exoplanets around other stars during its prime mission. When two of its wheels broke, NASA had an idea to keep it going as the K2 mission. They used the solar wind's force instead of the wheels to point the telescope. Isn't that cool? It's like a really fancy camera looking at the farthest stars. Kepler didn't just find planets, it also helped us understand how stars work. After ending in 2018, scientists are still discovering new things from its data. It's like a treasure hunt in space! Dr. Steffen compared finding data from Kepler to drinking from a firehose. It's a lot of information all at once! Imagine trying to write down everything you see when you look at a really exciting thing—that's what scientists had to do with Kepler's data. They've been sorting through all the measurements and images to find hidden planets and understand stars better. Each discovery brings us closer to understanding the universe. Astronomy isn't just about stargazing. Tools like the Kepler Space Telescope and models like the Falcon 9 rocket help us explore and try to make sense of the cosmos. It's not easy, but with each new discovery, we're one step closer to unraveling the mysteries of space. Dr. Steffen's talk on This Week In Space was a real eye-opener, making space feel both familiar and full of surprises.