![Sky map of the Plato benchmark stars in Galactic coordinates. Different symbols indicate benchmark quality samples as defined in the text (Sect. 5.3). Symbol size increases with apparent brightness. -- [astro-ph.SR]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Plato-benchmark.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.SR] The ESA PLATO mission aims to detect and characterise Earth-size exoplanets orbiting bright, late-type stars using high-precision photometry and asteroseismology.
PLATO
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 inPLATO
Detecting Transiting Exoplanets In Simulated PLATO data: A Comparison Of Light Curve Filter And Transit Search Algorithms
[astro-ph.EP] Aims: Our goal is to test and compare transit search methodologies, and provide recommendations as to the best practices to be implemented by the upcoming ESA PLATO mission, in […]
Posted inPLATO
Habitable-zone Earths At The Detection Frontier: Measured Completeness And False-alarm Rate Of A Transit Pipeline For The PLATO M-dwarf Sample
[astro-ph.EP] The PLATO mission will observe its first long-pointing field, LOPS2 (Long-duration Observation Phase, South field), for at least two years, bringing the habitable zones (HZ) of its M-dwarf sample […]
![The separation of β Pictoris b and β Pictoris c from the star in terms of their Hill sphere. β Pictoris b has a longer orbital period (∼20 yr), with a Hill sphere primary transit at MJD ∼58000 and a Hill sphere radius of 1.1 au. β Pictoris c has a shorter orbital period (∼3.3 yr), with two primary transits at MJD 58195+11 −20 and 59415+8 −8 and a secondary transit at 58707+3 −7 . The § Hill sphere radius is approximately 0.3 au. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Hill.png?resize=1200%2C712&ssl=1)
Posted inBeta Pictoris
The Hill Sphere Transits of Beta Pictoris c and The Search for Another 1981-like Event
[astro-ph.EP]. Beta Pictoris is a young and nearby planetary system hosting an edge-on debris disk and at least three gas-giant planets. Their circumplanetary environments could host exomoons and rings, a […]
Posted inPLATO
Terrestrial Planet Hunter Plato Electronics Pass Pre-launch Tests
[ESA] The European Space Agency’s terrestrial planet hunter Plato has recently completed a series of key tests inside the Maxwell Test Chamber at ESTEC, demonstrating that its electronic equipment is […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
The Expected Yield Of Venus Zone Terrestrial Planets From PLATO
[astro-ph.EP] The characterization of terrestrial exoplanets and the conditions that lead to divergent climate outcomes is a primary goal of exoplanetary science.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Characterising Transiting Exoplanets At Long Orbital Period: Lessons Learned For PLATO From 10 Years Of Monitoring The HIP41378 System
[astro-ph.EP] The upcoming launch of the PLATO mission will open a new area of exoplanetary research by probing transiting exoplanets at long orbital periods around bright stars.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
New Model Refines Search For Habitable Planets
Researchers have developed the Smaller Than Earth Habitability Model (STEHM) to assess which planets can maintain life-supporting atmospheres, focusing on size and atmospheric dynamics.
![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.