ESA - COROT - COROT sees first light!

About COROT

COROT objectives COROT mission strategy COROT spacecraft COROT instruments International collaboration

Multimedia

COROT images COROT animations COROT videos

Article Images

COROT sees first light!

24 January 2007

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 588 kb)

In the night between 17 and 18 January 2007, the protective cover of the COROT telescope has been successfully opened, and COROT has seen for the first time light coming from stars.

The first light detected by 30-centimetre COROT telescope comes from the constellation of the Unicorn near Orion, the great ‘hunter’ whose imposing silhouette stands out in the winter nights.

Credits: CNES

Back to article

After its launch in December 2006, COROT will be placed by a Soyuz launcher in a polar circular orbit around Earth at an altitude of 896 kilometres.

This orbit that will allow for continuous observations of two large and opposite regions in the sky for more than 150 days each.

The reason for the oppositely sited regions is that, because of the Earth’s movement around the Sun, the sun’s rays start to interfere with the observations after 150 days. COROT then rotates by 180 degrees and start observing the other region.

Credits: CNES

Note to editors

Back to article

COROT was successfully launched on a Souyz rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on 27 December 2006.

Credits: CNES/Starsem

Searching for exoplanets

Related ESApod

COROT (vodcast)

COROT (podcast)

More about...

COROT overview COROT factsheet

COROT on its way Europe looks forward to COROT launch The European dimension of COROT: An interview with Fabio Favata COROT launch postponed COROT fuels up COROT started its launch campaign in Baikonur COROT and the new chapter of planetary searches Europe goes searching for rocky planets How many planets are outside our Solar System?How to find an extrasolar planet ESA ESTEC expertise and facilities assist COROT project Planet discoverer: An interview with Didier Queloz