An update on the SPECULOOS project and new results

In the age of JWST, temperate terrestrial exoplanets transiting nearby late-type M dwarfs provide unique opportunities for characterizing their atmospheres, as well as searching for biosignature gases. In this context, the benchmark TRAPPIST-1 planetary system has garnered the interest of a broad scientific community.

The SPECULOOS (Search for habitable Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars) project, an exoplanet transit survey targeting a volume-limited (40 pc) sample of about 1700 late-type (M6 and later) dwarfs using a network of 1m-class robotic telescopes, began its scientific operations three years ago. In this talk, I will present an update on the current status of the survey and an overview of recent results.

In particular, I will describe how an efficient synergy with the TESS mission and other ground-based facilities led to the exciting new discovery of two temperate super-Earths transiting a nearby M6 dwarf, with the outer one orbiting in the habitable zone. In terms of potential for atmospheric characterization, we estimate that this planet is the second-most favorable habitable-zone terrestrial planet found so far after the TRAPPIST-1 planets. The discovery of this remarkable system offers another rare opportunity to study temperate terrestrial planets around our smallest and coolest neighbours.