TRANSITING EXOPLANET SURVEY SATELLITE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: A new study involving 32 scientists from 10 countries, confirmed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), has spotted a smaller black hole orbiting a pair in the galaxy OJ 287, located four billion light-years away. This marks the first time an orbiting black hole has been observed.

Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

• About: It  is a NASA mission searching for planets orbiting the brightest stars in Earth's sky.
• Targeting Dwarf Stars: Designed to discover thousands of exoplanets orbiting around the brightest dwarf stars in the sky.
• Range of Planets: TESS finds planets ranging from small, rocky worlds to giant planets, showcasing the diversity of planets in our galaxy.
• Achievements: It has discovered 410 confirmed exoplanets, or “new worlds,” circling stars other than the Sun.
• Successor to Kepler: TESS follows NASA's highly successful Kepler space telescope, which found thousands of exoplanets during a decade of work after its 2009 launch.
• Launch Date and Vehicle: Launched on April 18, 2018, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral.
• Orbit and Observation: It circles Earth in a high Earth orbit with a 12 to 15-day period, allowing a largely unobstructed view of the sky.
• Mission Status: The prime mission ended on July 4, 2020, and TESS is currently on an extended mission.