Ariel Exoplanet Mission (ESA)
ESA's Ariel will study the atmospheres of a thousand planets orbiting other stars, revealing what they are made of (ESA).
Image: NASA/Sydney Rohde.
Last reviewed: 2 sources cited
Explain Like I'm 10
- Ariel is a space An instrument that collects light (or other energy) to see faraway things more clearly. Glossary that will look at planets around other stars.
- When a planet passes in front of its star, starlight shines through its air.
- Ariel reads that light to find out what the planet's air is made of.
The Five W's of Ariel
What
Ariel, the Atmospheric Remote-sensing A kind of light our eyes can't see that we feel as heat. Special cameras use it to see warm objects and gases. Glossary Exoplanet Large-survey, a telescope that will inspect exoplanet atmospheres.
Source: ESA, Ariel
Where
In a halo The curved path an object takes as it travels around a planet, moon or star, like a satellite circling Earth. Glossary around the Sun-Earth A spot in space where the pull of the Sun and Earth balance, so a spacecraft can stay in place with little fuel. L1 sits between Earth and the Sun. Glossary L2, launching from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
Source: ESA, Ariel
Why
Ariel will reveal the ingredients of exoplanet atmospheres and the presence of clouds.
Source: ESA, Ariel
Connected Solutions
- Plato ESA's planet-hunting telescope, which looks for Earth-like worlds.
Impact Statement
Agency solution · in development
Ariel will inspect the atmospheres of a thousand planets in our galaxy orbiting stars other than the Sun (ESA).
Source: ESA, Ariel
For Further Information: ESA, Ariel
Ariel will weigh about 1,400 kg at launch (ESA).
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
Learning how other planets' atmospheres work helps everyone understand what makes a world like Earth special (ESA).
Source: ESA, Ariel
For Nature
Comparing a thousand alien atmospheres puts Earth's own life-supporting air in context (ESA).
Source: ESA, Ariel
Learn More About Ariel
Want to go deeper? ESA has the full Ariel story.
For Further InformationRelated Solutions
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