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What's the Story
NASA is preparing to send an artificial star into space, which will be about the size of a toaster and equipped with eight lasers.
It's part of the space agency's $19.5 million Landolt mission, which aims to enable scientists to obtain more precise measurements of real stars, and potentially aid in the study of dark energy.
The artificial star will mimic astronomical objects such as stars and supernovae by sending laser beams directly into instruments on Earth.
Artificial star would enhance stellar brightness measurements
According to David Ciardi, deputy director of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute and a Caltech astronomer, the Landolt mission will significantly improve the accuracy of measuring the brightness of stars.
“Landolt will be able to improve these measurements by more than tenfold,” he added.
The known brightness of the artificial star will be compared with that of its much more distant counterparts, to create a new stellar brightness catalogue.
Landolt mission to investigate the expansion of the universe and dark energy
Studying the brightness of distant stars can help researchers understand the rate at which the universe is expanding, and shed light on dark energy.
The artificial star is invisible to the naked eye, but can be seen through a telescope.
The spacecraft is scheduled to be launched in 2029, and will orbit the planet in a synchronous orbit of 35,785 km, remaining stationary over a point on Earth.
Improving the precision of ground-based telescopes
The primary goal of the Landolt mission is to increase the precision of ground-based telescopes.
The artificial star satellite will serve as a new calibration technique, helping astronomers better adjust their telescopes and other instruments at observatories.
This will enable them to take more accurate measurements of real celestial objects, expanding our understanding of the universe.