Habitable Planets Could be Found With Digital Camera

The technology you use to snap selfies is now being used to photograph planets trillions of miles away — a process which could help determine which ones may be hospitable to humans.

Astronomers for the first time have captured an image of an exoplanet — a planet that exists outside of our solar system — with an earth-based telescope that uses the same sensors found in a digital camera.

Though the technology still has a long way to go, the digital camera puts astronomers one step closer to being able to photograph exoplanets in visible light. Previous attempts used infrared technology, which works by detecting heat. That meant older planets, which have cooled off since they've formed and might be habitable, couldn't be captured. Read more...