Cometary Science Newsletter
- Issue
- 124
- Month
- November 2026
- Editor
- Michael S. P. Kelley (msk@astro.umd.edu)
CHEOPS Guest Observers: Rolling Call and HST/JWST Fast Track
The ESA CHEOPS Guest Observer Programme accepts proposals monthly through its Running Call, offering the worldwide astronomical community access to high-precision, space-based photometry for observations from 2027–2029.
HST/JWST Fast Track: deadline every last calendar day. PIs of active HST and/or JWST Guest Observer programmes may request complementary CHEOPS observations through the Fast-Track route. These proposals bypass CHEOPS TAC scientific evaluation and undergo technical feasibility assessment, providing an expedited route to complementary CHEOPS photometry.
Broad scientific scope and target availability
CHEOPS supports exoplanet transits, occultations, phase curves and transit timing, as well as eclipsing binaries, stellar variability, activity, rotation, flares and other time-domain science.
The programme is open worldwide; previous CHEOPS experience or Consortium membership is not required. Web tools support target visibility and exposure-time calculations. Only 20 targets are reserved by the Guaranteed Time Observations programme, and CHEOPS can observe more than ~75% of the sky, with 50% overlap with the Kepler field and 47% with the PLATO field.
Further information and proposal submission
Please consult the URL for documentation, policies, eligibility and submission instructions. Questions can be sent to cheops-support@cosmos.esa.int.
Graduate student / postdoctoral researcher position in research on small solar system objects at TU Braunschweig (Germany)
The Institute of Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics at the TU Braunschweig is seeking to fill a three-year researcher position (100% FTE, suitable to work towards obtaining a PhD degree) in research on small solar system objects in the group of Jessica Agarwal. Details of the position can be found here: