Near-infrared integral-field spectroscopy of HD209458b

We present first results of an exploratory study to use integral field spectroscopy to observe extrasolar planets. We focus on transiting 'Hot Jupiters' and emphasize the importance of observing strategy and exact timing. We demonstrate how integral field spectroscopy compares with other spectroscopic techniques currently applied. We have tested our concept with a time series observation of HD209458b obtained with SINFONI at the VLT during a superior conjunction.