One of the hottest fields in astronomy right now is the search for exoplanets. NASA’s Exoplanet Archive currently lists over 5,700 confirmed planets orbiting distant stars.
And more discoveries will be on the way.
PLATO, which stands for PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars, is a satellite made by the European Space Agency that will help put more exoplanets on the map. Scheduled for launch in late 2026, it will look at around 200,000 sun-like stars to categorize them and the planets that orbit them.
Science Friday guest host and producer Charles Bergquist is joined by one of the scientists working on the telescope, Dr. Suzanne Aigrain, professor of astrophysics at Oxford University, to learn more about PLATO and the future of deep space exploration.
Further Reading
- Learn more about exoplanets and why we study them via The Planetary Society.
- Learn about TESS, NASA’s own exoplanet-discovering satellite via NASA.
Segment Guests
Suzanne Aigrain
Dr. Suzanne Aigrain is a professor of Astrophysics at Oxford University in Oxford, United Kingdom.
Segment Transcript
The transcript of this segment is being processed. It will be available within one week after the show airs.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Andrea Valeria Diaz Tolivia
@AndreaValeriaDTAndrea Valeria Diaz Tolivia is a radio production fellow at Science Friday. Her topics of interest include the environment, engineering projects, science policy and any science topic that could make for a great sci-fi plot.
About Charles Bergquist
@cbquistAs Science Friday’s director and senior producer, Charles Bergquist channels the chaos of a live production studio into something sounding like a radio program. Favorite topics include planetary sciences, chemistry, materials, and shiny things with blinking lights.