Astronomy Professor Presents First Results from Kepler Planet Finding Mission Aug. 27

MELBOURNE, FLA.—Matt Wood, Florida Institute of Technology professor in the Department of Physics and Space Sciences, will present “First Results from the Kepler Planet Finding Mission” on Aug. 27. The free lecture will be held on campus in the F.W. Olin Engineering Complex, Room EC118, at 8 p.m.

“The NASA Kepler Mission, launched March 7, 2009, is designed to find Earth-sized planets within the habitable zone of stars,” said Wood.

“Thespace observatory’s single instrument is a photometer that can monitor over 150,000 stars simultaneously and continuously for the 3.5-year mission lifetime. Planets are detected by the slight dimming caused as they transit in front of their stars. Early results show that planetary systems are common in the cosmos.”

The F.W. Olin Engineering Complex is located on West University Boulevard. For more information, call (321) 674-7207 or visit www.fit.edu/aapls.