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 or...

Sep 3, 2025 - 08:18
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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 or...