Copyright: CNES
COROT, the first space telescope able to detect rocky planets around nearby stars, was launched in December 2006. COROT is a French-led mission with ESA contributions.
COROT uses its 30-centimeter telescope to monitor the brightness of stars. The changes in the brightness of a star reveal transiting planets. COROT is also able to detect starquakes, which are acoustical waves generated deep inside stars. The brightness of a star can be altered by ripples caused by starquakes, and this provides data that allows astronomers to determine the mass, age, and the chemical composition of a star.
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