Jeremy Kasdin: The flower-shaped starshade that might help us detect Earth-like planets

The video discusses the goal of building a space telescope to image Earth-like planets around other stars, highlighting the challenges posed by light diffraction and distance. Inspired by solar eclipses, Lyman Spitzer proposed using a starshade to block starlight, allowing telescopes to capture images of distant planets. Recent advancements in starshade technology, including successful tests, suggest that this approach could soon enable the imaging of other solar systems, potentially identifying planets that could harbor life.

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