Why "SAINT-EX" ?

SAINT-EX is an acronym that stands for Search And characterIsatioN of Transiting EXoplanets.

The project has been named in honour of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Saint-Ex) who was a famous writer, poet and aviator. He defended a society based on respect for humankind, cultural diversity, cooperation, commitment and individual responsibility. His most famous novella « The Little Prince » has been translated in 250 languages and is about a young man travelling to other worlds and learning from their cultures. Many aviation experiences of Saint-Ex refer to the beauty of the starry night, from the Sahara desert to the Andes.

We are collaborating with the Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation to develop an educational program to involve children  in the search for exoplanets and astronomy in general. These activities aim to promote science among young people in an effort to fight obscurantism.