Super-Earth Secrets: James Webb Telescope Reveals Unexpected Exoplanet Atmosphere
Recent observations by the James Webb Space Telescope have shed light on the enigmatic super-Earth 55 Cancri e, revealing its likely atmosphere composed of gases…
CHEOPS News
CHEOPS (Characterizing Exoplanet Satellite) is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission dedicated to studying exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system. Launched in December 2019, CHEOPS focuses on precisely measuring the size of known exoplanets by observing the transits of these planets across their host stars. By accurately determining the radii of exoplanets and combining this data with existing information about their masses, CHEOPS helps scientists to better understand the composition, structure, and formation of these distant worlds. The satellite is equipped with a single, highly sensitive photometer that captures minute variations in starlight caused by transiting exoplanets. CHEOPS targets bright and nearby stars, allowing for detailed follow-up studies with ground-based and other space telescopes. The mission is a collaborative effort involving ESA, various European countries, and numerous research institutions, and it plays a vital role in advancing our knowledge of exoplanetary systems and the potential for habitable worlds beyond our own.
Alien Atmosphere: “Rainbow” Detected on Exoplanet That Rains Molten Iron
New observations from the space telescope point to the existence of a “glory” in the atmosphere of WASP-76b, a luminous phenomenon like a rainbow. The…
Cosmic Symphony: Cheops Mission Exposes a Resonant Sextet of Distant Worlds
A rare star system with six exoplanets has been unlocked with the help of ESA’s Cheops mission. The discovery is particularly valuable because the planets’…
In Harmonic Rhythm: Deciphering the “Unsolvable Riddle” of a Six-Planet System
An international collaboration between astronomers using the CHEOPS and TESS space satellites, including NCCR PlanetS members from the University of Bern and the University of…
Cosmic Choreography: Unraveling the 6-Planet Resonance Mystery
Researchers led by Rafael Luque discovered six planets in a rare gravitational resonance around a smaller, cooler star. This unique arrangement, stable since the system’s…
Shiny Surprise: Cheops Discovers Scorching Hot Exoplanet Acting Like a Mirror
ESA’s Cheops mission has found LTT9779 b, the shiniest known exoplanet with an 80% reflectivity due to its metallic clouds. This ultra-hot Neptune is a…
Space Mystery: Unexpected New Ring System Discovered in Our Own Solar System
ESA’s Cheops finds an unexpected ring around dwarf planet Quaoar During a break from looking at planets around other stars, the European Space Agency’s CHaracterising…
Extreme Alien World: Strange Exoplanet Has a Complex and Exotic Atmosphere
An international team including researchers from the University of Bern and the University of Geneva as well as the National Centre of Competence in Research…
Strange Deformed Planet With Mysterious Motion Detected by Exoplanet Mission Cheops
ESA’s Cheops mission discovered that exoplanet WASP-103b, located in the Hercules constellation, has a rugby ball-like shape due to strong tidal forces from its nearby…
Planet Hunters: ESA’s New and Future Exoplanet Missions
ESA’s trifecta of dedicated exoplanet missions – Cheops, Plato, and Ariel – will also be complemented with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope mission. The…
Exoplanet-Hunting Satellite CHEOPS Unexpectedly Detects a Strange Planet “Without a Known Equivalent”
The exoplanet satellite hunter CHEOPS of the European Space Agency (ESA), in which the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is participating along with other…
Unique Planet “With No Known Equivalent” Photobombs Exoplanet-Hunting Satellite
While exploring two exoplanets in a bright nearby star system, ESA’s exoplanet-hunting Cheops satellite has unexpectedly spotted the system’s third known planet crossing the face…
Golden Target: Unique Exoplanet Photobombs CHEOPS Study of Nearby Star System
Photobombs — when something or someone unexpectedly enters a camera’s field of sight during the taking of a photograph — happen every day. Sometimes it…
Unique Planetary System With Rhythmic Orbital Resonance Revealed by Exoplanet Watcher Cheops
ESA’s exoplanet mission Cheops has revealed a unique planetary system consisting of six exoplanets, five of which are locked in a rare rhythmic dance as…
Extreme Alien World Revealed by ESA’s Exoplanet Observer
ESA’s new exoplanet mission, Cheops, has found a nearby planetary system to contain one of the hottest and most extreme extra-solar planets known to date:…
One of the Most Extreme Planets in the Universe Analyzed With CHEOPS Space Telescope
Eight months after the space telescope CHEOPS started its journey into space, the first scientific publication using data from CHEOPS has been issued. CHEOPS is…
New Space Telescope, CHEOPS, Will Improve the Hunt for Exoplanets
While the planet has been on lockdown the last two months, a new space telescope called CHEOPS opened its eyes, took its first pictures of…
New Space Telescope Cheops Ready for Science – Observes Its First Exoplanets
Cheops, ESA’s new exoplanet mission, has successfully completed its almost three months of in-orbit commissioning, exceeding expectations for its performance. The satellite, which will commence…