Zaterdag 21 maart
Spreker: Dr. Ana Heras (ESA)
Taal: Engels
ESA’s PLATO mission: A new window for the discovery of other worlds
The European Space Agency’s PLATO mission is currently being developed and is expected to launch in January 2027. PLATO’s main goal is to search for planets that orbit stars outside our Solar System, known as exoplanets. PLATO is so sensitive that it can spot planets as small as Earth and at distances from their host stars where conditions allow water to exist in liquid form on their surfaces. The mission will employ the transit method, systematically monitoring tiny variations in the light of over 150,000 bright stars for a period exceeding two years, which can reveal when a planet passes in front of them. PLATO will also measure the oscillations of the stars, unlocking secrets about their inner structure and evolution. This approach offers scientists the chance not only to discover worlds up to the stars’ habitable zones, but also to precisely measure their size, mass, and age, tracing the story of planets across time and space.
NB: Deze lezingen wordt in het Engels gegeven.