Astronomers Propose Rectangular Telescope to Hunt Earth-Like Planets

Sep 2, 2025 - 16:00
Astronomers Propose Rectangular Telescope to Hunt Earth-Like Planets
Astronomers are exploring a revolutionary space telescope design with a long, narrow primary mirror instead of a traditional circular one. A 20×1 m rectangular mirror concentrates resolution along its length, enabling it to separate Earth-like planets from their stars at ~30 light-years in infrared light. Rotating the telescope 90° captures planets in all orbital orientations.