Swiss space telescope delivers first results on ‘extreme’ exoplanet
Eight months after the CHEOPS telescope started its journey into space, scientists have published their first results: an in-depth analysis of the exoplanet WASP-189b, one of the most extreme planets in the universe.
This content was published on
3 minutes
UNIGE/sb
The telescope is travelling on board the satellite CHEOPSExternal link (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) as part of a three-year mission to study exoplanets.
The first exoplanet to be surveyed by the CHEOPS telescope is known as WASP-189b. It is orbiting the star HD 133112, one of the hottest stars known to have a planetary system, scientists say.
“The WASP-189 system is 322 light-years away and located in the constellation Libra (the weighing scales),” explained Monika Lendl from the University of Geneva in a statementExternal link on Monday.
“WASP-189b is especially interesting because it is a gas giant that orbits very close to its host star. It takes less than three days for it to circle its star, and it is 20 times closer to it than Earth is to the Sun.”
The planet is over one-and-a-half times as big as Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar system.
Planets like WASP-189b are unusual, Lendl said.
“They have a permanent day side, which is always exposed to the light of the star, and, accordingly, a permanent night side,” she explained. “Based on the observations using CHEOPS, we estimate the temperature of WASP-189b to be 3,200° Celsius. Planets like WASP-189b are called ‘ultra-hot Jupiters’. Iron melts at such a high temperature, and even becomes gaseous. This object is one of the most extreme planets we know so far.”
The planet is not visible as it is too far away and too close to its host star, so scientists have to rely on indirect methods like the CHEOPS telescope, which uses precise brightness measurements.
‘More to come’
Willy Benz, professor of astrophysics at the University of Bern and head of the CHEOPS consortium, said he was delighted about the findings.
“These observations demonstrate that CHEOPS fully meets the high expectations regarding its performance,” he declared. “We are expecting further spectacular findings on exoplanets thanks to observations with CHEOPS. The next papers are already in preparation.”
The new study and results have been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Exoplanets – planets outside the Solar system – were first found in 1995 by two Swiss astronomers, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz, who last year were awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery.
CHEOPS was developed as part of a partnership between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland. The joint mission is led by the University of Bern, in collaboration with the University of Geneva.
Over 100 scientists and engineers from 11 European states were involved in constructing the satellite over five years. The Science Operations Center of CHEOPS is located at the observatory of the University of Geneva.
Swiss football boss wants crackdown on individual hooligans
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss Football League says he prefers a harsher approach to individual hooligans rather than collective punishment measures affecting all fans.
Amherd: Council of Europe is ‘as urgently needed as ever’
This content was published on
The Swiss government emphasised on Sunday the vital role of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, 75 years after it was founded.
Swiss minister: Italy will back Switzerland in EU talks
This content was published on
Bern can count on the backing of Italy as it re-enters talks with the European Union on future relations, Viola Amherd says.
Student protestors at University of Lausanne continue pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
Since Thursday, a hall on campus has been occupied by students calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and a ceasefire in Gaza.
This content was published on
Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
This content was published on
Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
EPFL tries to calculate the probability of life elsewhere in our galaxy
This content was published on
Researchers from Lausanne have developed a statistical modelling tool to help astronomers determine the likelihood of life as we know it on other planets.
Swiss space telescope declared fit to observe distant planets
This content was published on
The telescope is travelling on board the satellite CHEOPSExternal link (CHaracterizing ExOPlanets Satellite) as part of a joint mission with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland, led by the University of Bern, in collaboration with the University of Geneva. The testing phase was carried out without a hitch, despite team members being forced to work…
This content was published on
A space telescope developed by Swiss researchers to observe distant planets has successfully delivered its first pictures.
‘With the Nobel Prize, you’ve reached the Olympus of science’
This content was published on
Joint winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, Didier Queloz talks about waiting for the call from Sweden and how the award has changed his life.
Swiss-developed exoplanet telescope launched into space
This content was published on
A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying the CHEOPS (Characterising ExOPlanets Satellite) telescope blasted off from Kourou, French Guiana.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.