How NASA’s Newest Planet Hunter Scans the Sky

The TESS mission, led by MIT, aims to discover thousands of new planets orbiting nearby stars. Over a two-year survey, TESS will observe a wide range of stars to find planets from Earth's size to larger than Jupiter. Equipped with four cameras, each with a 16.8 megapixel sensor, TESS will cover 85% of the sky, significantly more than NASA's Kepler mission. The mission will first scan the southern sky, then the northern sky, with overlapping observation sectors allowing continuous monitoring near the poles. This area is also observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, enabling joint efforts to find and study exoplanets, enhancing our understanding of other worlds.

What is the primary goal of the TESS mission led by MIT?

• To map the Milky Way galaxy

• To study the surface of Mars

• To explore the moons of Jupiter

• To find new planets orbiting nearby stars

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

• Two cameras with 8.4 megapixel sensors

• Four cameras with 16.8 megapixel sensors

• Three cameras with 12.5 megapixel sensors

• Five cameras with 20 megapixel sensors

For how many days does TESS observe each observation sector?

• 15 days

• 45 days

• 27 days

• 60 days

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

• 50%

• 75%

• 85%

• 100%

Which telescope will work with TESS to study exoplanets in detail?

• Spitzer Space Telescope

• Chandra X-ray Observatory

• Hubble Space Telescope

• James Webb Space Telescope