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This technique would make planetary detection possible for stars within approximately 10 [[parsecs]] (about 32 [[light years]]) of Earth. It is estimated that there could be as many as several thousands of [[exoplanets]] within that distance. The starshade is similar to but should not be confused with the [[Aragoscope]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cash|first1=Webster|title=New space telescope concept could image objects at far higher resolution than Hubble| url=http://phys.org/news/2015-01-space-telescope-concept-image-higher.html| access-date=26 January 2015| publisher=Phys Org| date=January 23, 2015}}</ref> which is a proposed imaging device designed to use the diffraction of light around a perfectly-circular light-shield to produce an image. The starshade is a proposed [[sunflower]]-shaped [[coronagraph]] disc that was designed to block starlight that interferes with [[Telescope#Research telescopes|telescopic]] [[astronomy|observations]] of other worlds. The "petals" of the "sunflower" shape of the starshade are designed to eliminate the diffraction that is the central feature of an [[Aragoscope]].
The starshade is a [[spacecraft]] designed by Webster Cash, an [[astrophysics|astrophysicist]] at the [[University of Colorado at Boulder]]'s Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy.<ref>[http://newworlds.colorado.edu/ New Worlds Website]</ref> The proposed spacecraft is designed to work in tandem with [[space telescope]]s like the [[James Webb Space Telescope]] or a new 4-meter telescope.<ref name="Berger 2006">{{cite news |last=Berger |first=Brian |url=http://www.space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_061204.html |title=Northrop Grumman Concept Uses Shade to Find New Planets |work=Space |date=December 4, 2006 |access-date=2015-11-17 }}</ref> It would fly {{convert|72000|km|abbr=on}} in front of a space telescope (between the telescope and a target [[star]]) and approximately {{convert|238,600|mi|km}} away from Earth, outside of Earth's [[heliocentric]] orbit.<ref>[http://newworlds.colorado.edu/implementation/index.htm Starshade Specifications]</ref> When unfurled, the starshade resembles a [[sunflower]], with pointed protrusions around its circumference. The starshade acts as a very large [[coronagraph]]: it blocks light of a distant star, making it easier to observe [[planetary system|associated planets]]. The unfurled starshade could reduce collected light from bright stars by as much as 10 billion-fold. Light that "leaks" around the edges would be used by the telescope as it scans the target system for [[extrasolar planet|planets]]. With the reduction of the harsh light, astronomers will be able to check exoplanet atmospheres tens of trillions of miles away for the potential chemical signatures of [[extraterrestrial life|life]].<ref name=CUfund>[http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2005/390.html CU Proposal To Image Distant Planets Is Funded For Second Round Of Study] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702063801/http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2005/390.html |date=July 2, 2014 }}</ref>
==Objectives==
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