In Search of New Worlds--Meet TESS, Humanity's Newest Exoplanet Scout

A new voyage is hopefully setting sail tonight; one that could lead to the discovery of many new worlds, some of which may even harbor life. Guided by the moon and pointed toward the stars, the goal of TESS--the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite--is to identify rocky planets around nearby stars by detecting and analyzing distinctive dips in starlight. An illustration of TESS in front of a lava planet orbiting its host star. TESS is expected to identify thousands of potential new planets for ...