We are on the day after the COROT press conference where a new exoplanet was announced, where it was revealed that stellar data is of unseen accuracy and that there are 40 light curves that can be derived from the presence of orbiting planets...

Malcolm Fridlund just indicated spacEurope something that, for me, is of extreme importance in the near future...Even if the majority of this light curves reveal to be derived from stellar the ones that aren't are like precious gems...why? Because all of the 40 light curves are from sun-like stars, so...any exoplanet found under this circumstances might be of a well known nature.

Another point from my latest post had to do with two particular candidates, being one of them presented almost as a teaser...Fridlund revealed to spacEurope what's the secret...

The exoplanet candidate in question was presented as a jovian sized planet with an unusual density...According to the scientist it is indeed "very unusual"...

If Saturn as a density of 0,7 g/cc this baby has 0,35 g/cc, yes...half of it...

Where does this takes us? As Fridlund tells us, there can't be any metals in that planet.

The diversity out there gets me dizzy...and questions pop out of my head as I'm sure it happens with you reading this words...and Christmas is here...that is why I thought on proposing something to Dr. Malcolm Fridlund, the project scientist for the COROT mission, which he accepted by being, like an exoplanetary Santa Claus, to answer the questions of this blog's readers.

So, if there is anything you would like to get answers to related with the latest press conference revelations or with other aspects of the mission please feel free to shoot these to spacEurope's mailbox untill January 7.

Following the press conference, and from the full release (in French) there are some exciting perspectives for the near future...

According to the COROT team there are already, and beyond the two exoplanets already discovered under the mission, CoRoT-exo-1b and CoRoT-exo-2b, around 40 light curves containing signs of possible planets.

Further ground analysis is necessary to confirm their true nature.

Among these possible exoplanets there are two candidates particularly promising...a planet two times smaller than Saturn and another one of jovian size but with a unusual density...

I'll let my nails grow till future announcements...

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Information now online here.

COROT discovers its second exoplanet:

"COROT-exo-2b orbits a star similar to our Sun, somewhat more massive and cooler, but more active. It is located about 800 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Serpens. COROT-exo-2b is a giant planet, 1.4 times larger and 3.5 times more massive than Jupiter. Its average density of 1.5g/cc is also somewhat higher than Jupiter’s. This massive planet orbits its star in a little less than two days from a distance of about six times the stellar radius."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Malcolm Fridlund just informed spacEurope that today's press conference will take place at the Paris Observatory, not in Meudon but in town, at 11AM CET.

Two hours, at 1PM CET after it will be possible to read all about it at the ESA site where it will be published puts a text with figures related with this results' presentation.

Long time no see hey?

Explaining this absence will wait for a future opportunity for now, and much more important than that here are some words to shed some light over the COROT mission.

I've just checked my e-mail and there was one particularly calling my attention coming from...Malcolm Fridlund, COROT's Project Scientist.

After a previous announcement of a press conference to the 10th of this month where results would be released Fridlund reveals that this date has been postponed...but not for long...

We will just have to wait about a week, the upcoming December 20 is the day to stay alert.

According to the mission's happy Project Scientist, there will be in that day's morning, a press conference at the Paris Observatory.

Fridlund also indicates that there will be a simultaneous press release at a time yet to be decided but it will be around noon.

This press event will focus on the release of data to the Co-Investigators that took place yesterday, with the fact that Annie Baglin, COROT's Chief Scientist, has been awarded a french medal, and...drums please...with the first 3 papers that have been already submitted.

Juicy ain't it?

It will worth the wait.

More soon...