Astronomers in the UAE have detected exoplanets orbiting stars far beyond the solar system, according to an announcement from the Abu Dhabi-based International Astronomy Centre. This groundbreaking discovery was made possible through collaboration with the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission.

Credit: ARN News

The Al Khatem Astronomical Observatory, located in the Abu Dhabi desert, played a crucial role in this research. The team analyzed subtle changes in the brightness of stars to identify when planets pass in front of them, a recognized technique for detecting exoplanets.

Eng. Khalfan Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the International Astronomy Centre, noted that this detection relies on preliminary data from the TESS telescope. The findings are currently being verified on Earth through a global network of specialized observatories.

Eng. Mohammed Shawkat Awda, Director of the International Astronomy Centre, reported that the Al Khatem Observatory officially joined the TESS Follow-Up Observing Program (TFOP) in June 2024. This followed a rigorous training program led by international experts and a successful practical test observing one of the candidate planets.

Since joining the program, the observatory has conducted a series of nighttime observations, each lasting between four and seven hours, focusing on 12 stars believed to have planets. Awda highlighted that the observatory transformed the status of 10 of these stars from “candidate planets” to “confirmed planets.” This achievement showcases the precision of the observatory’s research efforts.

Official documents from the Global Programme confirm that Khatem Observatory achieved these results independently, demonstrating the efficiency of its equipment and the accuracy of its observations, especially given the environmental challenges faced in ground-based observations.

Awda emphasized that this contribution marks a significant scientific advancement for the UAE in the field of space exploration. It positions the nation as a leader in the search for potentially habitable planets and offers new insights into the formation and evolution of planets in distant galaxies.