Speaker
Dr
Antonino Francesco Lanza
(Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF))
Description
I shall briefly review the PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO), an M-class space mission of the European Space Agency that is due to launch in early 2027. It will observe a wide field in the Southern hemisphere for at least two years searching for transiting planets orbiting bright stars and aiming at a precise determination of their radius within 3-5%, of their mass within 5-10%, and of their age within 10% for its stellar primary samples (V mag < 11) by means of asteroseismology. Moreover, data on stellar abundances, rotation, and the level of magnetic activity will be provided that can contribute to the study of planetary atmospheres and the star-planet interactions.
Author
Dr
Antonino Francesco Lanza
(Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF))