Pictures from AbSciCon2008!

AbSciCon 2008 was great! Julia and I met a lot of great scientists, and learned about recent developments in the field of astrobiology. And, as always, New Worlds was a hit! There were a lot of people interested in New Worlds, who wanted to know more about the project. Here are some pictures from the event for your viewing pleasure. Also, you can find mine and Julia's posters on the New Worlds website, under the Documents tab.

There is another astrobiology conference (ISSOL, the International Society for Astrobiology) in August, in Italy, and hopefully New Worlds will be a part of that as well. However, no plans have yet been made.

Astronomy Day at Fiske Planetarium!

This Saturday (April 12) is Astronomy Day at Fiske Planetarium at the University of Colorado at Boulder. And New Worlds will be there! I (Rebecca) will be setting up a New Worlds table with information about New Worlds, and I will also have my poster that I will be presenting at this years AbSciCon 2008 in April. Julia and I are working on handouts that provide information about New Worlds, and Julia will also be partaking in the day's festivities. Come join us!

New Worlds at AbSciCon 2008!

Hello New Worldsians!

Long time, no talk... that is soon to be remedied! I am happy to announce that New Worlds will be present at both AbGradCon 2008 and AbSciCon 2008 this year! AbGradCon 2008 is from April 13-14 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California. Julia DeMarines will be giving a short presentation at this event. AbSciCon 2008 is also at the Santa Clara Convention Center and lasts from April 14-17. At this event, both Julia and Rebecca Mickol (your new blogger) will be presenting posters on New Worlds. Maggie Turnbull, leader of the New Worlds Science Team will be presenting a New Worlds poster, as well as giving a presentation on a separate, but related, topic. Hope to see you there!

Welcome to our blog!

My name is Sarah, a concept artist / fledgling mechanical engineer at CU Boulder, home of New Worlds.



Webster Cash is the mastermind behind the New Worlds mission, so-called because just as the explorers of the 15th~17th centuries searched for new land during the Age of Discovery, we are out to find, well, new worlds.

Wait, what?

New Worlds is a mission to find earth-like planets in other solar systems. Most of these extra solar planets (or exo-planets) that have been found so far are giant gas planets like Jupiter. A few weeks ago, scientists using the European Southern Observatory's telescope in La Silla, Chile found a small terrestrial planet. So they're out there! When our mission is launched, we'll not only be able to find more little rocky planets like our own -- we'll be able to take actual pictures of them and even detect things like water and oxygen.

If there's oxygen and water on a planet... and it's not too hot or too cold... who knows? But if life exists out there, New Worlds has the capabilities to find it.


We'll be dumping all sorts of informal stuff here on this blog, so come back often to see how things are coming along!