Exoplanet Hackathon Series - Episode III London Edition

After two very successful hackathons held at Harwell Campus and ESAC we are once again designing a fantastic hackathon challenge - this time in London!

Join this hackathon to collaborate on developing machine learning methods for characterising the atmospheres of planets beyond our solar system!

Are you ready to push the boundaries of exoplanet science?

With over 6,000 planets discovered outside our solar system (a.k.a. exo-planets), the next frontier is characterising their atmospheres. Exoplanet Hackathon Series - Episode III London Edition, in partnership with the Ariel Data Challenge, invites students and scientists who are interested in learning the latest development in exoplanets.

We now know of planets ranging from Earth-like worlds to ultra-hot Jupiter-like gas giants. The European Space Agency's Ariel mission, launching in 2029, will study the atmospheres of 1,000 nearby exoplanets in unprecedented detail — providing clues to how planets form and evolve.

The challenge: Current methods will become a bottleneck for the data volumes Ariel will produce. Can ML approaches be a potential solution? Can we develop ML approaches that can rapidly map planetary characteristics from observation — temperature and molecular abundances — while handling noisy observations and quantifying uncertainty? Advancing this will accelerate our understanding of planetary systems and maximise Ariel's scientific legacy.

Beyond the technical challenge, you'll have a chance to interact with scientists directly involved in the Ariel mission and learn about ExoClock, Ariel's flagship citizen science outreach programme.

Here's what you can expect:

• Access to ~90,000 simulated Ariel observations from official instrument and atmosphere simulators
• Talks from Ariel scientists on the latest developments in exoplanet research
• Optional online pre-hackathon seminar on ML fundamentals and exoplanet science
• Networking with researchers involved in the Ariel mission
• Introduction to ExoClock — Ariel's citizen science outreach programme

Who is this for?

The Exoplanet Hackathon Series is opened to any students and scientists with an interest in exoplanet. From Bachelors to full professors (if you have the time), apply if you want to develop cutting edge machine learning techniques to tackle the next generation of exoplanet atmospheric data.

We particularly encourage university students, early-career professionals, and early-career researchers to apply. You can come in teams ( 3-4 ) or as an individual!

No prior exoplanet expertise required — we'll provide the scientific context. No ML expertise required either — we welcome scientists who want to learn.

You are motivated by:

• A fun day coding and getting stuck in a problem.
• Applying ML to real scientific problems
• Contributing to an active ESA space mission
• Learning about exoplanets and atmospheric characterisation

Then this hackathon is for you!

How to Take Part

When you register, you will need to fill out a questionnaire:

• Tell us if you're coming as a team or as an individual (both are welcomed)
• Indicate your background (ML-inclined / astrophysics-inclined / other science)
• Confirm you can attend the full event, from 09:00 to 17:30
• Dietary requirements

Registration deadline: 28th February, 2026

What should I bring?

• A laptop with internet connection
• an open mind to explore
• optional: a notebook

Who's Leading This?

Organising Institutes:

• Department of Physics, King’s College London
• Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College London
• Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen

Organising Committee:

• Kai Hou Yip (KCL, PlanetAI)
• Arun NG (UCL)
• Quentin Changeat (RUG)
• Bex Coates (KCL, PlanetAI)
• Costanza Azzini (KCL)

Funders: National Federated Compute Services NetworkPlus,NWO Dutch Research Council, Leids Kerkhoven-Bosscha Fonds.

Event Details

Accessibility: Please check https://www.accessable.co.uk/king-s-college-london/strand-campus/access-guides/strand-building

Contact: please contact us on Eventbrite

Visit our website for more information.

Good luck — we look forward to seeing you there!

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Host or Publisher Kai Hou Yip