[STSCI]. ESA’s Characterising Exoplanet Satellite (CHEOPS) has helped revolutionize our understanding of exoplanet science during its first six years of successful science operations by precisely measuring planet sizes and revealing […]
CHEOPS
![Stability map of the TOI-2211 system in the (Ωc , Ic) plane for the outer planet candidate TOI-2211.02. All other orbital parameters were fixed to the nominal solution from Table A.4. The colour scale shows the adopted stability indicator, with blue regions corresponding to stable configurations and red regions to unstable configurations. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Searching-for.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inWater/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Searching For Hot Water World Candidates With CHEOPS: II. A Low-density Super-Earth Orbiting The K Dwarf TOI-2211
[astro-ph.EP] Small exoplanets on close-in orbits are exposed to high levels of stellar irradiation, which can effectively remove low-mass primordial H/He envelopes through atmospheric escape.
Posted inLava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds
Revealing The Shiny Nature Of Lava Worlds: Small Planet Phase Curves With TESS
[astro-ph.EP] Recent thermal emission observations suggest that `lava worlds’–Earth-sized exoplanets hot enough to melt their silicate surfaces–have atmospheres on a population-level.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
CHEOPS Photometry From 2024 Reveals A Reversal In The Transit-timing Variations Of AU Mic c
[astro-ph.EP]. We present new CHEOPS transit observations of AU Mic b and AU Mic c obtained between June and September 2024, extending the baseline of transit-timing measurements of this young […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Stellar Cartography
CHEOPS Exoplanet Mission Extended
Following the remarkable scientific achievements of the space telescope CHEOPS, the European Space Agency (ESA) has decided to extend the mission once again.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
An Ultra-Short Period Super-Earth And A Sub-Neptune Orbiting The K Dwarf TOI-4311
We report the discovery and characterisation of the multi-planetary system around TOI-4311, a K dwarf kinematically between the Galactic thick disk and Hercules stream. TOI-4311 hosts an ultra-short-period super-Earth (P∼0.99 […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
JWST Unveils A High Mean Molecular Weight Atmosphere For Mini-Neptune TOI-1130b: Evidence For Formation Beyond The Water Ice Line
We present the combined JWST/NIRSpec G395H and NIRISS SOSS transmission spectrum of a warm mini-Neptune, TOI-1130b (3.66 R⊕, 19.8 M⊕, Teq∼825 K). It is part of a rare and unique […]
![WASP-39b transmission spectra and cloud scenarios. Spectra are observed with JWST (orange), HST (magenta), and VLT (green) in comparison to models with different Fe content: full IWF Graz cloud model (black line), Fe[s] replaced (dark gray), FeS[s] replaced (middle gray), and all Fe-binding materials replaced (light gray). The Fe-free mixed-material cloud compositions provide a good fit in the near-IR but not in the optical. — astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Exoplanet-climate.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Status Report
Exoplanet Climate Characterization With Transit Asymmetries
Context. Space missions such as CHEOPS, JWST, and PLATO facilitate detailed characterization of exoplanets, particularly close-in gas giants and their wide range of global temperatures and climate regimes.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1
The Multi-planet System TOI-5624: Four Transiting Sub-Neptunes With An Outer Companion Revealed By Transit-timing Variations
Following the 2022 alert of a TESS object of interest transiting TOI-5624 (a G7 V star ∼100 pc away), a CHEOPS campaign in 2023 detected four planetary signals at Pb≈3.4, […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Constraining Small Planet Compositions for Future Missions
Accurate mass and radius measurements of small transiting exoplanets are essential for probing their compositions, formation histories, and potential habitability.