New Space Telescope Could Search for Both Exoplanets and Dark Energy

Europe's proposed Euclid mission would use a microlensing technique to hunt both ET and dark energy

Dark Energy Hunter: Europe's Euclid space telescope could pick up on distorted light from distant galaxies, and pick up clues on the existence of dark energy.  S. Colombi (IAP), CFHT Team

Dark energy may not have much in common with aliens, unless there's a flotilla of freaky monoliths out there with really weird physical properties. But astrophysicists hope to build a two-in-one space telescope that can search for signs of dark energy along with exoplanets.

Europe's proposed Euclid space telescope would use a microlensing technique to detect the bending of light as it travels through clumps of dense matter. That would allow scientists to map out the locations of galaxies scattered across the universe, which in turn may reveal more about the role of dark energy as a theorized unseen force behind the universal expansion. Some cosmologists consider dark energy such a bugaboo that they have tried coming up withalternative explanations.

The very same technique could also pinpoint the light-bending effect of distant stars and planets, and help astronomers find new exoplanets that could potentially harbor extraterrestrial life. Folding in the search for ET may also prove more compelling for getting the space telescope funded, given that even the Vatican has recently begun pondering the cosmic complications of aliens.

Both scientific investigations require a space telescope that can stare patiently at a large swath of sky, and so Euclid fits the bill almost perfectly. But Astrobiology Magazine notes that both planet-hunters and cosmologists would have to share their viewing time with the telescope, and probably also financial support.

Still, even shared viewing time beats no viewing time. Astrophysicists estimate that 3 months of observations with Euclid could survey 200 million stars and perhaps find 10 planets resembling our own planet Earth. That hinges upon the European Space Agency's review of Euclid and five other similar missions, with only two slated to make the cut for launch.

Space Hotel Slated to Open in 2012

Start planning that vacation to outer space: The first space hotel is expected to open as soon as 2012, it was reported today. The hotel, "Galactic Suites," will allow adventurous travelers to enjoy a spectacular starry view from their hotel rooms, see the Sun rise 15 times a day and take part in scientific experiments while theyÕre not using Velcro suits to crawl around their pod-room walls. The trip won't be cheap though--a three-day stay will cost around $4 million, according to Reuters. There were a few design kinks the company that is creating the hotel had to work out too, especially those involving water. "It's the bathrooms in zero gravity that are the biggest challenge," company director Xavier Claramunt told Reuters. "How to accommodate the more intimate activities of the guests is not easy." But they have found a solution to the problem of how to allow guests to shower: a spa room where guests can float around in bubbles of water. And forget "around the world in 80 days"-- guest will travel around the world in 80 minutes. The hotel was no more than a dream of Claramunt's until a generous space enthusiast fronted the $3 billion needed to build the hotel. An American company aimed at colonizing Mars has invested in the hotel, which will be built from pods connected in a molecule-like structure, Reuters reported. Other private investors in Japan, the United States and the United Arab Emirates are also in talks to invest in the company. It is up in the air as to how many people would be eager to make the trip into space for a weightless hotel stay. "We have calculated that there are 40,000 people in the world who could afford to stay at the hotel. Whether they will want to spend money on going into space, we just don't know," Claramunt told Reuters.