• Question: do you work with machines that explore more of the universe so we will see more about if theres another galaxy or world with life on it

    Asked by tomo11quinn to Arlene, Colin, David, Eugene, Paul on 13 Nov 2012. This question was also asked by cindy13, aoifeomara.
    • Photo: David McKeown

      David McKeown answered on 13 Nov 2012:

      I work with X-ray telescopes. They are telescopes which in orbit above the earth and take pictures of the universe, but instead of taking pictures using normal light (like an everyday camera) it takes pictures by examining the x-rays coming from universe, a bit like when you break a bone and the take a x-ray in the hospital. The x-ray images give scientist different information about the universe than just visible light, the more they learn, the more they can pinpoint other plants which could be possibly sustain life.

    • Photo: Paul Higgins

      Paul Higgins answered on 13 Nov 2012:

      I have used data from the furthest man-made object from Earth: the Voyager space craft. It is currently leaving the solar system, and is measuring the gas in outer space at different distances from the earth. In the next few years we will get to directly measure the gas beyond the edge of the of the solar system, “the heliopause”. This has never been done before.

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