ASA is aiming for its next big telescope to take a photo of an alien planet that is similar to Earth. Astronomers have long wanted to get such photos, which could allow them to study worlds beyond our solar system. However, the technology to make those dreams possible has been decades away - until the organization announced that the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) could take such photos much sooner than they initially believed - probably by 2025.
The telescope was conceived in 2010, becoming a top-ranked priority for astronomers. At the heart of the telescope is a 2.4-meter mirror that has the same size and quality as the Hubble Space Telescope. What's interesting, however, is that it promises panoramic views a hundred times larger and wider than Hubble could ever manage.
Scientific American reported that NASA will be using a Wide Field Instrument Camera and WFIRST's primary objective will be to study dark matter, the force that is driving the universe to accelerate expansion.
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