Women Scientists Help NASA Planetary Defense, Exoplanet Research

Two outstanding female astronomers from Edinburgh cooperate with NASA to defend Earth against asteroids and explore habitable exoplanets.

Dr. Cyrielle Opitom, a Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, is essential to the joint Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission.

The DART mission successfully diverted the moon Dimorphis in September by changing its rotation via a planned spacecraft collision, which was a ground-breaking accomplishment. Dr. Opitom currently examines the dust produced by this impact to learn important information about the asteroid's makeup.

The Institute for Astronomy, located at the Royal Observatory site in the nation's capital, is where Dr. Opitom conducts her study.

Dr. Opitom said her research help scientists "unravel the secrets of asteroid surfaces and deepen our understanding of asteroids in general," per STV News. The information she examines helps experts understand our solar system's genesis and development and allows NASA to anticipate and react to future asteroid threats to Earth.

Curious About Alien Life

Meanwhile, Professor Beth Biller, a School of Physics and Astronomy member, utilizes the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) capabilities to investigate exoplanets outside of our solar system while also working from the exact location.

Professor Biller prevailed over a ferocious field of competitors from scientists all around the globe to use the JWST, the famed Hubble Space Telescope's replacement.

Exoplanet features are the focus of Professor Biller's ground-breaking research since they have fascinated her for her whole life. She is sure the JWST's cutting-edge capabilities will open the door to finding inhabited planets.

According to Professor Biller, the discovery of habitable exoplanets will take roughly "20 to 30 years, along with the next generation of space missions, like the successor to the JWST." She further noted that advances in technology would significantly help scientists in this field of astronomy.

The Hunt Goes On

So far, scientists have not yet found a planet where humans can also dwell, but over the years, NASA space missions to several planets in our solar system have shifted the public's understanding of this matter.

A long-term human colony is only possible on the Moon, Mars, and some bigger moons circling giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. Titan on Saturn and Callisto on Jupiter has also been identified as prospective options, with other moons ruled out because of their poor surface characteristics or high radiation exposure, according to the National Air and Space Museum.

Future JWST hunts for earth-like planets will focus on the TRAPPIST-1 system, which consists of an M dwarf star and several rocky planets, CNN reported. The M dwarf stars' erratic nature, which makes them vulnerable to solar flares and radiation, presents fascinating difficulties for perhaps habitable planets.

Scientists are still looking for habitable planets in the many uncharted regions, considering the planet's distance from M dwarf stars and the possibility of Earth-like circumstances. Around 1,000 sun-like stars close to Earth have the potential to support worlds inside their habitable zones.