Artist's impression of the CHEOPS satellite
Artist's impression of the CHEOPS satellite
CHEOPS orbits the Earth every 98 minutes, precisely measuring individual exoplanet systems to characterise them more accurately – particularly their radii. The space telescope precisely measures the size of planets as they pass in front of their host stars during transit events. These measurements, combined with existing knowledge of planetary masses, allow a planet's density to be estimated, providing an initial indication of whether it is gaseous or rocky. This first characterisation of these distant worlds – many of which have no counterpart in the Solar System – is a crucial step towards understanding the formation and evolution of exoplanets.
Credit:
ESA / ATG medialab