Indonesia Starts Searching For Habitable Planets And Aliens In Space

Illustration (ESO satellite)

JAKARTA - The National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN) plans to conduct research on other life beyond Earth. Research on the exoplanet will begin in 2021.

LAPAN researcher Rhorom Priyatikanto said this plan was included in the transient project observation. Where, Indonesia will start looking for other life outside Earth such as aliens and habitable places besides Earth.

"LAPAN will plan a transient object observation program starting next year. Exoplanets and supernovae are examples of transient objects. In other words, we will begin to look for and study Exoplanets more systematically. One of the directions is to answer whether there is life out there," said Rhorom. when contacted, Tuesday 27 October.

For information, transient objects are celestial bodies whose light is not fixed, often appearing suddenly but then slowly disappearing. These objects include Nova, Supernova, Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) and AGN flares or flares released by active galactic nuclei.

Exoplanets themselves enter as a transient phenomenon because an exoplanet can only be detected when it is passing through its parent star on a transit journey. This method records a decrease in brightness when a planet crosses its parent star.

Rhorom also said that later the program would be implemented at the National Observatory facility in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), and funds from this program would also come from the state budget. LAPAN is estimated to spend IDR 340 billion.

"LAPAN has built the Timau National Observatory facility in NTT, together with ITB, UNDANA, and the local government. Starting this year, we have operated a 50 cm telescope in Kupang, one of which is for observing comets and asteroids," said Rhorom.

"For the (price) 50 cm telescope, it will be around IDR 1 billion, approximately IDR 340 billion, which comes from the state budget," he added.

Meanwhile, Rhorom stated that his party is optimistic about running this program, because the equipment is quite adequate. Although other countries have already conducted research on planets outside the Solar System.

It is known, recently there were two researchers who opened up the possibility of the existence of life on the Exoplanet they identified. To date, they have identified 1,004 star sequences that may have a chance for life.