Initial Exoplanet Discoveries from TESS

Explore the initial exoplanet discoveries from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in this informative lecture by Dr. Scott Fleming of the Space Telescope Science Institute. Delve into the design and capabilities of TESS, comparing it to NASA's Kepler/K2 mission, and learn about several exciting planetary findings since its launch in April 2018. Gain insights into the mission's data collection process and its availability through the Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). The talk covers various topics, including star clusters, dark matter, the Kuiper belt, Ultima Thule, TESS's cameras and orbit, the transit method for detecting exoplanets, and comparisons with the Hubble Space Telescope. Discover the locations of newly found exoplanets around M, K, and Pi dwarf stars, and understand TESS's significance in expanding our knowledge of planetary systems beyond our solar system.