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Man took one giant step closer to finding life on other planets with the launch of Corot (Convection Rotation and Planetary Transits), the first dedicated planet-hunting space telescope, and the first telescope of any kind that will be able to spot small, rocky planets like Earth. The telescope, built by the French space agency CNES, tracks the very slight dimming of stars caused by planets passing in front of them. It’s a common technique, but this is the first satellite sensitive enough to detect planets only 1.5 times the diameter of Earth, not just huge gas giants like Jupiter. Corot will also let scientists estimate whether planets are the right distance from their suns to have liquid water (not ice or vapor) and, therefore, life. ET, we’re on your tail. smsc.cnes.fr
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