* Astronomy

Hundreds of planets have been discovered outside of our solar system, but conspicuously absent from the list are ones that resemble Earth. On 29 and 30 May astronomers and scientists from all around the world will gather in Pasadena to discuss how we might find another Earth, and how we might detect possible life on it.
The third annual Exoplanet Forum, sponsored by JPL and NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program, will focus on the types of future missions that could be used to locate and characterise planets beyond our solar system, called exoplanets. Technologies that will be discussed range from those that would directly image an exoplanet, to those that would detect a planet by measuring the dip it produces in its star's light as it passes by. Findings from the meeting will be published in a book that will be used for the next Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey, a National Research Council report that helps sets the priorities for federal spending in the astronomy field.

Source:  NASA/JPL

Read more