Searching For Alien Planets (100 L.Y.)

9008-059

This graph shows how the contrast ratio between the light reflected by an extrasolar planet and its star can be enhanced by placing the image of the star in a response null.   The range is 100 light years.  A space-based telescope is assumed or a ground-based telescope with adaptive optics.  By using a focal plane array, the image of the star fall on one pixel (photodiode) and the image of the extrasolar planet on another pixel (photodiode).

Copyright (c), 1990, The COSETI Observatory