The PLATO space mission: discovering new worlds, exploring the stars

By Julien Morin, PhD in Astrophysics at the Montpellier Universe and Particles Laboratory.

Since the first exoplanet was discovered by Swiss astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz (2019 Nobel Prize in Physics) at the Haute-Provence Observatory in 1995, more than 6,000 planets orbiting stars other than the Sun have been identified.

These discoveries have revealed a previously unsuspected diversity among exoplanets, but no "twin" planet to Earth. The European Space Agency's PLATO mission aims to push the limits of current detection methods in order to discover Earth-like exoplanets orbiting Sun-like stars.

Beyond detecting exoplanets, PLATO will enable astrophysicists to better understand stars and their evolution by probing their structure using asteroseismology, i.e., the study of stellar vibrations. The combination of these two objectives is at the heart of PLATO's scientific program to advance our understanding of planetary systems and what makes Earth unique or not.

Conference organized byARUM ( Association of Retired Faculty of the University of Montpellier).