Like a wrecking ball: giant planets as the key to finding Earths. Jupiter-like planets are the key to understanding Earth-like planets. Their presence can disrupt the orbits of inner habitable worlds

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Like a wrecking ball: giant planets as the key to finding Earths. Jupiter-like planets are the key to understanding Earth-like planets. Their presence can disrupt the orbits of inner habitable worlds or deliver life-sustaining water. The project aims to address this gap by utilising major space telescopes, in combination with Australia's unique Minerva-Australis telescope array, to obtain a complete picture of Jupiter-like planets orbiting the nearest stars. Expected outcomes include the detailed properties of Jupiter analogs, their influence on other planets in those systems, and which nearby stars are most likely to host another Earth. This project will benefit the international community by optimising the effort of future space telescopes and generate new knowledge on Earth-like planets.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 5101 - Astronomical Sciences. Lead: Prof Robert Wittenmyer