EXOHOST

Building Excellence in Spectral Characterisation of Exoplanet Hosts and Other Stars

In January 2023, the EXOHOST project was launched at the University of Tartu, with the aim of establishing the Tartu Observatory as the leading center in the Nordic and Baltic countries for studying exoplanet host stars. The focus of the Twinning collaboration, which is part of the European Horizon participation and excellence dissemination measure, is to introduce modern research methods, management practices, and work culture.

Exoplanets and their host stars are one of the most important subjects in 21st-century astronomy. Although the number of known exoplanets has grown to 5,000 and is soon expected to be 20,000 or more, the host stars of exoplanets and their planetary systems are still poorly studied in stellar astrophysics. The Ariel mission led by University College London and the James Webb Space Telescope are investigating exoplanets. In contrast, less attention has been paid to characterizing stars (host stars) that have protoplanetary disks, which form planets. Spectroscopy of planets and host stars is important for a comprehensive study of planets beyond our solar system - to understand their chemical diversity and to investigate the processes leading to the formation of planetary systems. This research could bring us closer to answering the big question of whether there is life elsewhere in the universe besides Earth. As a regional leading center, the University of Tartu aims to contribute to solving these questions. The data collected during the project will be made available to the public. The activities and results of EXOHOST will be presented to the general public through popular science articles and other media channels.

Follow the latest news on project webpage.

Partners: University of Tartu, Uppsala Universitet, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, University College London

Start: 01.01.2023
End: 31.12.2025

Budget: 1 498 931 €
TO budget: 820 901 €
Financing: European Commission, Horizon Europe Programme, UK Research and Innovation

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