TESS
Surveying the Sky for Nearby Exoplanets
TESS surveys large sections of the sky for tiny, repeating drops in stellar brightness, finding nearby transiting exoplanets around bright stars that are well suited for follow-up study.
Object type
Wide-field space telescope
Launch
April 18, 2018
Known for
Nearby transiting exoplanets
TransitSatellite connection
TESS connects wide-field transit surveys, nearby stars, exoplanet discovery, Kepler's legacy, and follow-up by observatories such as Webb.
Objective
Find nearby planetary systems
TESS emphasizes bright, relatively nearby stars so newly discovered planets can be characterized by other telescopes using spectroscopy, precise mass measurements, and atmospheric observations.
Survey design
Four cameras and large sky sectors
Instead of staring at one field for years, TESS uses four wide-field cameras to observe broad sectors of the sky, building an increasingly complete survey over its primary and extended missions.
Connection
From Kepler statistics to follow-up targets
Kepler established the abundance and diversity of exoplanets; TESS shifts emphasis toward nearby systems that can be studied in greater detail by larger ground- and space-based observatories.
TransitSatellite connections
Related missions, rockets & people
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