Minerva: a dedicated exoplanet observatory

密涅瓦：一个专门的系外行星观测站：低质量行星是非常常见的，但详细描述它们的能力受到望远镜时间的严重限制。由哈佛领导的密涅瓦项目是一个专用的多望远镜设施，它将能够密切监测附近明亮恒星因绕轨道运行的类地行星而产生的微小径向速度“摆动”。该项目将为密涅瓦阵列购买一台望远镜。这一创新设施将使澳大利亚系外行星科学家在这项新研究中享有特权。这项安排将使澳大利亚和美国的合作伙伴能够独家获得围绕最近恒星运行的最小行星的观测数据。

Minerva: a dedicated exoplanet observatory: Low-mass planets are extremely common, but the ability to characterise them in detail is severely limited by the availability of telescope time. The Minerva project, led by Harvard, is a dedicated multi-telescope facility which will be able to intensely monitor nearby bright stars for the small radial-velocity "wobbles" due to orbiting terrestrial planets. This project will purchase a telescope for the Minerva array. This innovative facility will give Australian exoplanetary scientists a privileged position in this new research. The arrangement will give the Australian and US partners exclusive access to the observational data on the smallest planets orbiting the nearest stars.