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Science and Space
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Planet Search

Metaphor for an astronomical quest, a mechanical firefly is just a glimmer next to a 5-foot-wide (1.5-meter-wide) searchlight. Astronomers hoping to capture the light of an Earth-size planet around a star billions of times brighter compare the feat to picking a firefly from a searchlight's glare 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) away, on a foggy night.

Photograph by Mark Thiessen