The scientific community involved in the search for
habitable planets will meet in Palermo (Italy) on April
9-11 to take an important step towards the discovery of
other worlds which might harbour life.

The European Space Agency and the Astronomical
Observatory of Palermo have organised an international
workshop, entitled “Stellar-structure and habitable
planet finding”, dedicated specifically to selection
of the single area of the sky that will be searched
for habitable planets by Eddington, the European
mission due for launch at the beginning of 2008.

The workshop has attracted more than 150 participants,
from most European countries and also from the USA and
Australia. In addition to the leading scientists in
the field of extra-solar planets, representatives from
several European space companies will be attending.

‘Eddington’ is an European astronomical space
observatory currently being developed by ESA; one of
its key scientific aims is the discovery, for the
first time, of habitable planets, i.e. planets which
could harbour life as we know it on Earth. Eddington
will put European scientists in a leading position
in this key scientific challenge. It will search for
habitable planets in a single area of the sky (its
‘target field’); the choice of target field is
therefore a critical decision in the mission’s
lifetime.

Media representatives are welcome to attend the
workshop; a press lunch will be organised on April 11,
during which some of the leading scientists attending
the workshop will be available to answer questions
from journalists.

Details of the workshop arrangements are given at
http://www.astropa.unipa.it/Eddington/Index.html
During the workshop, details of its progress will be
available at the same address.

Media representatives wishing to attend the workshop
are required to complete the attached registration
form. [NOTE: Not attached – A.Y.]

Further information about the Eddington mission, the
workshop and its outcome can be requested from:

Fabio Favata

Eddington Project Scientist
ESA, Astrophysics Division
Fabio.Favata@rssd.esa.int
Tel. +31(0)71.565.4665

Related links

* Eddington workshop
http://www.astropa.unipa.it/Eddington/Index.html

* Eddington
http://sci.esa.int/home/eddington/

* Workshop attendance form
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/Pr_21_2003_p_EN.html

IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEM6D79YFDD_index_1.html]
ESA’s Eddington mission is designed to detect habitable
planets across a wide range of stellar types. Credits:
ESA 2001. Illustration by Medialab