Development of the SPECULOOS exoplanet search project

TL;DR

SPECULOOS is a network of robotic telescopes dedicated to discovering habitable planets around ultracool dwarf stars, aiming to identify targets suitable for detailed atmospheric study with next-generation telescopes.

Contribution

This paper presents the development, current status, and initial results of the SPECULOOS project, including its connection with TESS and JWST for exoplanet exploration.

Findings

Discovered the TRAPPIST-1 system with seven Earth-sized planets.

Established a network of telescopes for targeted exoplanet transit searches.

Outlined plans for future development and integration with space missions.

Abstract

SPECULOOS (Search for habitable Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars) aims to perform a transit search on the nearest ($<40$pc) ultracool ($<3000$K) dwarf stars. The project's main motivation is to discover potentially habitable planets well-suited for detailed atmospheric characterisation with upcoming giant telescopes, like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and European Large Telescope (ELT). The project is based on a network of 1m robotic telescopes, namely the four ones of the SPECULOOS-Southern Observatory (SSO) in Cerro Paranal, Chile, one telescope of the SPECULOOS-Northern Observatory (SNO) in Tenerife, and the SAINT-Ex telescope in San Pedro M\'artir, Mexico. The prototype survey of the SPECULOOS project on the 60~cm TRAPPIST telescope (Chile) discovered the TRAPPIST-1 system, composed of seven temperate Earth-sized planets orbiting a nearby (12~pc) Jupiter-sized star. In this paper, we review the current status of SPECULOOS, its first results, the plans for its development, and its connection to the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and JWST.