The science behind EChO

Information for the general public

What will EChO do?

EChO will be able to look at the atmospheres of planets that transit their host star. See video below for a quick introduction:

Credit: Marcell Tessenyi

How does EChO find molecule signatures?

EChO will find the molecular signatures by the use of spectroscopy.

Planetary system types that EChO will observe

There are currently over 500 exoplanets reported on the Exoplanet.eu website. EChO will study a wide variety of planets orbiting main sequence stars (namely, F, G, K and M). These are the different planet types that EChO will focus on:

• Hot Jupiters
• Hot and Warm Neptunes
• Hot, Warm and Habitable Zone Super Earths

These planets may have surface temperatures that vary greatly (300 Kelvin to 3000 Kelvin) depending on the distance they orbit their star and the temperature of the star itself. Below, a sample of planet/star systems that EChO will characterise are represented.

Hot Super Earth, M star	Warm Super Earth, M star
Habitable Zone Super Earth, M star	Hot Jupiter, K star
Hot Neptune, G star	Warm Neptune, K star

 

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