Exoplanetary Systems & Solar System (SEYSS)

The area of planetary and solar systems involves several research groups working on Exoplanets, Solar System and Cultural Astronomy. Our main objectives are:

  • The detection and characterization of giant and rocky planets around nearby stars using the most advanced instruments (CARMENES, ESPRESSO, HARPS Norte y Sur, SONG, LCO, MUSCAT2) and space missions (CoRoT, Kepler K2, CHEOPS, TESS and PLATO). The group is particularly interested in the study of terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of their host stars where water can be in liquid form.
  • The characterization of the atmospheres of planets to know their structure and composition, both by transits and direct imaging, using ground-based telescopes such as GTC and space missions such as CHEOPS.
  • Investigate the formation of exoplanet systems by studying the chemical composition of planet host stars, and the dynamical evolution of exoplanets at their early stages of formation.
  • Study the physical properties of different families of minor bodies of the Solar System (asteroids, comets, trans-neptunian objects, etc.) to understand the origin and evolution of Solar System with GTC and space missions such as OSIRIS-REx.
  • The study of ancient cosmologies through cultural astronomy and the defense of cultural heritage through the astronomy.
  • Publication
    Optical spectroscopy of candidate Alpha Persei white dwarfs
    As part of an investigation into the high-mass end of the initial mass-final mass relation we performed a search for new white dwarf members of the nearby (172...
  • Publication
    Orbit of the Patroclus–Menoetius Binary System and Predictions for the 2024/2025 Mutual Events Season
    We report on the ephemeris development for Menoetius, the satellite of Patroclus. Our data set consisted of ground–based and Hubble Space Telescope relative...
  • Publication
    Orbital period refinement of CoRoT planets with TESS observations
    CoRoT was the first space mission dedicated to exoplanet detection. Operational between 2007 and 2012, this mission discovered 37 transiting planets, including...
  • Publication
    Orbital Torus Imaging: Using Element Abundances to Map Orbits and Mass in the Milky Way
    Many approaches to galaxy dynamics assume that the gravitational potential is simple and the distribution function is time invariant. Under these assumptions...
  • Publication
    OrCAS: Origins, Compositions, and Atmospheres of Sub-Neptunes. I. Survey Definition
    Sub-Neptunes—volatile-rich exoplanets smaller than Neptune—are intrinsically the most common type of planet known. However, the formation and nature of these...
  • Publication
    Orientación solar del Traianeum de Italica (Santiponce, Sevilla, España)
    El Traianeum fue un gran complejo sacro del siglo II d.C. construido por el emperador Adriano en la antigua ciudad de Italica (Santiponce, Sevilla, España)...
  • Publication
    Orientatio ad sidera: astronomy and landscape in Qart Hadašt/Carthago Nova
    Archaeological investigations in Cartagena –the ancient Punic Qart Hadašt, Roman Carthago Nova– have manifested the existence of ritual, urban and topographical...
  • Publication
    Origin of the near-Earth asteroid Phaethon and the Geminids meteor shower
    Aims: In this paper we establish a compositional and dynamical connection between two B-type objects: main belt asteroid (2) Pallas and near-Earth asteroid...
  • News
    Our solar neighbourhood is full of planets
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias has participated in the discovery of a frozen super-Earth around Barnard’s star, in the second nearest solar system to...