NASA’s New Planet Hunter: TESS

The TESS mission, led by NASA and MIT, aims to discover thousands of new exoplanets orbiting bright nearby stars, building on the legacy of the Kepler mission. TESS uses the transit method to detect planets, observing dips in starlight as planets pass in front of their stars. Equipped with four cameras, TESS covers a vast portion of the sky, rotating every 27 days to map 85% of it. The mission collaborates with the James Webb Space Telescope to study exoplanet atmospheres and compositions. TESS's findings will enhance our understanding of exoplanets and their potential for hosting life.

What is the primary method used by TESS to detect exoplanets?

• Gravitational lensing

• Transit method

• Direct imaging

• Radial velocity

How many cameras does TESS have, and what is their coverage capability?

• Two cameras, covering a small portion of the sky

• Four cameras, each covering a 24-degree square

• Six cameras, each covering a 10-degree square

• One camera, covering the entire sky

What percentage of the sky will TESS survey during its mission?

• 50%

• 75%

• 100%

• 85%

How does the James Webb Space Telescope complement the TESS mission?

• By measuring the spectra of starlight absorbed by exoplanet atmospheres

• By detecting gravitational waves

• By mapping the surface of exoplanets

• By providing additional sky coverage

What is one of the key scientific goals of the TESS mission?

• To detect black holes

• To measure the age of the universe

• To study the atmospheres of exoplanets orbiting bright nearby stars

• To find planets in other galaxies