Photo by NASA
NASA is planning to put a fake “star” into space. This is part of a big project costing millions.
George Mason University will host the $19.5 million Landolt NASA Space Mission.
They want to learn about dark energy.
“This mission marks another first for George Mason University,” said President Gregory Washington. He added, “It’s an honor for George Mason to lead this unique team.”
The artificial “star” will help scientists calibrate telescopes better. It won’t be a Death Star, though.
Eliad Peretz from NASA says it could change how we measure stars and exoplanets. The “star” will orbit 22,236 miles above Earth.
It will stay in the same spot over the U.S. for its first year.
Experts hope the data will improve our understanding of stars and habitable zones.
Peter Plavchan stated, “We will now know exactly how many photons-per-second come out of this source to .25 percent accuracy.”
