An online presentation from Dr Pearson

An online presentation from Dr Pearson

Dr Chris Pearson (Astrophysicist) will present:

“Ariel and Alien Worlds. Enabling planetary science across light years”

Less than 30 years ago the only planets known to exist were those found within our own Solar System. From the first confirmed discovery in 1992 –  of a pair of exotic planets orbiting around a dead star –  the field of exoplanetary science has undergone nothing short of a revolution. Currently we stand at a staggering 4000+ confirmed discoveries of planets outside our Solar System.  What we have found is that, as usual, our Universe is more diverse that we could possibly imagine, throwing up a menagerie of weird and wonderful planets such as Jupiter sized worlds orbiting ridiculously close to their parent stars, worlds made of ice, lave and even diamond, to rogue planets drifting alone in the vastness of space. With such a treasure trove of discovery, the next logical step is to characterise the properties of these systems. We are at the dawn of a new age in exoplanet research where for the first time large samples of 1000+ exoplanets are not only being detected but also characterised by analysing the composition of their atmospheres. The European Space Agency’s ARIEL mission, due for launch in 2028, will become the leading facility in this characterisation process

• plus of course a contribution from Eddie

Image note: “An image of the star known as HD 88111, taken by ESA’s Cheops exoplanet watcher during its in-orbit commissioning in early 2020. The star is located in the Hydra constellation, some 175 light years away from Earth, and it is not known to host any orbiting planets.” Source, ESA.