Hack an Exoplanet is an inquiry-based astronomy project on planets outside the Solar System. By completing this activity, teams of secondary students will get the opportunity to analyse real satellite data collected by Cheops and hack these mysterious alien worlds. This activity is suggested for teams of students aged 14 to 19 years old.
Teams can choose between three different challenges from beginners to advanced level of complexity.
Super Earths
Two formats:
1. Game based learning challenge
Beginners level
2. Open challenge
Advanced level
Learn about planets outside our Solar System by analysing data from Cheops, a real ESA scientific satellite.
Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 are already available, and we need your help profiling these two mysterious exoplanets. Find out how you can use real satellite data to investigate an alien planet and become an exoplanet detective with this activity for secondary students.
The hackathon activities are available in 21 different languages.
In early 2023, ESA’s Cheops (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) observed two exoplanet targets, KELT-3b and TOI-560c. By joining a Hack an Exoplanet event, teams of secondary students will get the opportunity to analyse real satellite data collected by Cheops and hack these mysterious alien worlds. This activity is targeted at teams of students aged 14 to 19 years old.
Online and physical hackathons are being organised during April, May and June 2023, and you can even host your own hackathon at your school!
Find out below more about each event.
All teachers and educators are welcome to organise or join an Hack an Exoplanet activity with your teams of students. Find out below how you can join or host an event.
If you are from Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden you can find out more about activities in your country, by contacting your national contact points.
Join an existing event organised by a different entity.
For example the ESA Hack an Exoplanet virtual hackathon event
Create your own event (private or public).
For example as part of the school science week or as a classroom activity
If you are from Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden you can find out more about activities in your country, by contacting your national contact points.
Rules: The quiz is composed of 6 questions about exoplanets. Complete it successfully and you will receive an Exoplanet Detective certificate.
If you want to learn more about exoplanets check out the other resources and complete the hack an exoplanet challenges!
Are you a teacher or educator? If you are not sure how to start, visit our educators guide page that includes information and support on how to present the hack an exoplanet activity to your students.
For extra educational supporting materials visit our resources section to find tailored classroom resources and other educational supporting materials for guidance, such as videos and guides.
Duration: 2h 30m
Language: English
During this virtual hackathon our team of experts will guide you in discovering how to analyse the Cheops data to uncover the size, orbital period and distance, habitability, and composition of these two distant worlds. Follow along to uncover the properties of the exoplanets and become a real exoplanet detective.
You can present Challenge 1, the analysis of KELT-3b, directly to your students with this virtual event.
After the hackathon, submit your project for a chance to win the Best Project Prize. The winning teams will receive ESA goodies and participate in a webinar with 2019 Nobel Prize winner Didier Queloz and ask him questions live! The webinar will take place on 17 July 2023, at 14h CEST.
Didier is a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Cambridge and ETH Zurich. He is one of the originators of the “exoplanet revolution” in astrophysics. In 1995, as part of his PhD, he and his supervisor announced the first discovery of a giant planet orbiting another sun-like star outside the Solar System.
