CHEOPS is the first Small mission in the ESA Cosmic Vision Program. It is devoted to the characterization of small exoplanets orbiting bright stars.
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ALT An infographic shows 5,569 confirmed exoplanets. 1912 are Neptune-size; 1772 are gas giants; 1679 are super-earths; 199 are terrestrial and 7 are an unknown type, meaning we don't have enough information to classify them
ALT Infographic explaining the new Cheops result. The text on the infographic reads: "ESA's Cheops confirmed the existence of four warm exoplanets with sizes between Earth and Neptune, orbiting their stars closer than Mercury our Sun. These so-called mini-Neptunes are unlike any planet in our Solar System and provide a 'missing link' that is not yet understood. Mini-Neptunes are among the most common types of planets known, and astronomers are starting to find more and more orbiting bright stars." On the left part of the infographic the four stars are shown, with an example star on top. The four mini-Neptunes are orbiting these stars, and their orbit in days is shown with a 'Hot Jupiter' exoplanet as a reference. The mini-Neptunes are shown in blue-grey and the Hot Jupiter in orange. On the right side of the infographic, possible inner structures are shown for mini-Neptune planets. They all contain an iron core, a rocky mantle. The outer layers can consist of water, hydrogen and/or helium.
ALT Infographic explaining the new Cheops result. The text on the infographic reads: "ESA's Cheops confirmed the existence of four warm exoplanets with sizes between Earth and Neptune, orbiting their stars closer than Mercury our Sun. These so-called mini-Neptunes are unlike any planet in our Solar System and provide a 'missing link' that is not yet understood. Mini-Neptunes are among the most common types of planets known, and astronomers are starting to find more and more orbiting bright stars." On the left part of the infographic the four stars are shown, with an example star on top. The four mini-Neptunes are orbiting these stars, and their orbit in days is shown with a "Hot Jupiter" exoplanet as a reference. The mini-Neptunes are shown in blue-grey and the Hot Jupiter in orange. On the right side of the infographic, possible inner structures are shown for mini-Neptune planets. They all contain an iron core, a rocky mantle. The outer layers can consist of water, hydrogen and/or helium.
