Europe's planet-hunting CHEOPS telescope beams down its first image. It's better than expected

A planet-hunting probe has taken its first photos, and they're better than expected!

Europe's planet-hunting CHEOPS telescope beams down its first image. It's better than expected : Read more

"CHEOPS is designed to spot transiting exoplanets (planets outside of our solar system passing in front of their star) and characterize them. The probe will "make high-precision observations of the planet's size as it passes in front of its host star," according to a mission description from the European Space Agency (ESA) officials. "It will focus on planets in the super-Earth to Neptune size range, with its data enabling the bulk density of the planets to be derived — a first-step characterization towards understanding these alien worlds."

I am looking forward to more reports from CHEOPS and planet sizes determined for primary transits. Presently there are 4180 confirmed exoplanets at this site, The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia 2992 are listed as primary transit detected. Find better measurements for super-earths and neptunes is important in exoplanet studies.
 

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