News from our department

Variety of extrasolar plaents
Around 6000 extrasolar planets have been found. They show a variety in the parameters like radius, mass and orbit not seen in our solar system. New categories have been made: super-Earths, mini-Neptunes and Hot Jupiters.
Credit:

SPP 1992 (Patricia Klein)

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An ultra-hot Jupiter orbiting a pulsating star

The planet only needs two days to orbit its star, a pulsating gas giant. But this makes the light curve asymmetrical.

GJ 367b - reloaded

Among the exoplanets, GJ 367 b is a flyweight, but with a relatively large iron core. Measurements with JWST show further characteristics: a hot, dark planet without an air atmosphere.

First PLATO field selected

PLATO's first field of observation was selected by the Science Working Team in July 2023. It is located in the southern hemisphere, around the star Canopus, a bright star in the constellation Carina. PLATO will observe this field for at least two years, but perhaps also three or four years - depending on the yield.

Dimethyl sulphide: a sign of life on the exoplanet K2-18b?

Only marine phytoplankton produces dimethyl sulfid on Earth. Is this molcule present in the atmosphere of the planet K2-18b?

First PLATO camera installed on the optical bench

OHB in Oberpfaffenhofen is starting to integrate the PLATO cameras on the optical bench. The first of 26 cameras has now been mounted on the optical bench in the clean room of the OHB in Oberfpaffenhofen. The integration of the whole set will be ready by the end of the year.