DETECTION of TRANSITTING EXOPLANETS USING BYU-IDAHO’S 250Mm F/4

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DETECTION OF TRANSITTING EXOPLANETS USING BYU-IDAHO’S 250mm f/4

MAKSUTOV-NEWTONIAN TELESCOPE

Kayla Cameron

A senior thesis submitted to the faculty of

Brigham Young University-Idaho

in partial fulfillment of graduation requirements for the degree of

Bachelor of Science

Department of Physics

Brigham Young University-Idaho

December 2011

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY-IDAHO

DEPARTMENT APPROVAL

of a senior thesis submitted by

Kayla Cameron

This thesis has been reviewed by the thesis committee and has been found to be satisfactory.

Date Stephen McNeil, Research Advisor

Date David Oliphant, Thesis Coordinator

Date Brian Tonks, Committee Chair

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Abstract

Exoplanets, planets around other stars, can be detected using a number of different methods, including the transiting method. BYU-Idaho’s 250mm f/4 Maksutov-

Newtonian telescope might be capable of detecting transiting planets by monitoring the magnitude of the star. Though time was not sufficient to collect enough data, the data did suggest that the telescope is fairly accurate in measuring the magnitude of a star over time. The measured magnitude for HD 189733 was 7.65 ±0.03. This data was collected between July 29th and September 1st. This thesis is intended to be a guide for future research on exoplanets.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank several people. First, to Brother Tonks and Brother McNeil for convincing me to switch to physics through their Astronomy class that I took while I was still an Art major. Second, to Brother McNeil for spending several late nights helping us to prepare and checking up on us. Third, to Marianne and Ruben

Kackstaetter, Kushal Bhattarai, and Sarah Lemmon for helping with telescope setup and troubleshooting. I would also especially like to thank my husband Josh for everything he did during this project. He not only supported me in my research, but he also encouraged me when things weren’t working; helped with setup, takedown and other important parts of the procedure; and kept me company late into the night, even when he had his internship to go to in the morning. Additional thanks go to my thesis committee, as well as my dad, for reading and editing this paper.

Table of Contents Table of Figures ...... viii 1. Introduction and History ...... 1 1.1 Prior Telescope Research ...... 1 1.2 The Search for Exoplanets ...... 1 1.2.1 Methods of Detection ...... 1 1.2.2 Early exoplanet searches ...... 3 1.3 Transiting and its use at BYU-Idaho ...... 5 2. Setup for Research ...... 7 2.1 Daily Setup ...... 7 2.2 Using the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia ...... 7 2.3 Choosing a star ...... 8 2.4 Preparing for File Storage ...... 9 3. Procedure ...... 11 3.1 Imaging ...... 11 3.1.1 Taking bias, dark and flat frames ...... 11 3.1.2 Correcting images in MaxIm DL ...... 11 3.1.3 Measuring Magnitudes ...... 12 3.2 Gathering Data ...... 13 4. Results ...... 14 4.1 Results of HD 149026...... 14 4.2 Inconsistencies in Light Curve ...... 16 4.3 Analysis of HD 189733 ...... 17 4.4 Post Project Results ...... 18 5. Conclusion and Groundwork for Future Research ...... 20 5.1 Conclusion ...... 20 5.2 Future exoplanet searches ...... 20 Bibliography ...... 22 Appendix A―Setup ...... 23 Appendix B―Right Ascension Chart ...... 25 Appendix C―Data Table ...... 27 Appendix D- Drop in Magnitude ...... 29

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Table of Figures

Figure 1: Graphs of HD 189733 showing the light curve from the transiting planet...... 6

Figure 2. Graph of the measured magnitude of HD 149026, July 6, 2011 ...... 15

Figure 3: Graph of magnitude of HD 149026, July 9, 2011 ...... 15

Figure 4: Graph of HD 189733 with bad data ...... 16

Figure 5: Graph of HD 189733 with ringed image data removed ...... 17

Figure 6: Close up of inconsistent section of Figure 5...... 17

Table of Equations Equation 1: Percentage of light drop...... 27

Equation 2: Magnitude comparison...... 27

Equation 3: Change in magnitude...... 27

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1. Introduction and History

1.1 Prior Telescope Research

Brigham Young University-Idaho received a 250mm Maksutov-Newtonian telescope as a donation in 2008. Since that time, two former students completed research that laid ground work for my own.

Cameron Jones first revealed the telescope’s capabilities by figuring out how to operate it. He also discovered which computer programs worked best for guiding the telescope and taking pictures. His thesis is a great guide for setting up the telescope and can be found at BYU-Idaho’s Physics Department Office. (1)

Scott Fuller researched the capabilities of the CCD device that is an integral part of the telescope. To demonstrate its capabilities, he studied a variable star. Part of his thesis contains instructions on using the CCD camera for imaging. His thesis is online at http://www.byui.edu/physics/Thesis.htm and can also be found in the Physics Office. (2)

1.2 The Search for Exoplanets

Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars other than ours. The field of exoplanet research is surprisingly old for a topic that has just barely begun to take off. There are many methods useful for finding exoplanets and most were influential in some of the first mistakes and discoveries.

1.2.1 Methods of Detection

The first method used to try to find exoplanets is called astrometry. Astrometry is the precise measurement of the position of a star. The theory is that if an astronomer

can detect a wobble in the movement of a star, it indicates the presence of a companion in the same system. Everything in a star system rotates around a barycenter, which is basically the balance point of the system. If the system consists of only one body, there will be no wobble. In a binary star system, the more massive star will have less wobble and the smaller star will move more. The same goes for stars and their planets. There are a lot of limitations to this method. A star twice the distance away from Earth than another star will be twice as hard to detect its movements. (3) Astrometry relies on what can be seen in the line of sight and because that requires visible light, it is less precise than other methods that also detect movement. (4)

From astrometry came the Doppler method. Based on the idea that light would shift its wavelength if the star is moving, the Doppler method measures radio waves from the star in question to determine which direction the star moves. This method is used for pulsars since most stars don’t emit radio waves. Since each star type is made of certain elements and those certain elements block out certain wavelengths, these elemental lines in an EM spectrum can be compared to the radio waves received to see how fast the star is moving towards or away from Earth. When a star has a planet, the readings will fluctuate between red shifted and blue shifted. The Doppler method and astrometry are most sensitive to large planets, that is, planets about the size of Jupiter or bigger. The difference between them is that Doppler is better at finding planets close to the star and astrometry is better at finding planets farther from the star. (3)

A variation of the Doppler method is the radial velocity method. It uses visible light instead of radio waves. This method can be applied to Main Sequence stars whereas the Doppler method is mostly used for pulsars. This is how the planet orbiting

51 Pegasi was discovered. This method is very helpful in determining the mass of the orbiting planet. (3)

Gravitational microlensing is another way to detect planets. When one star passes in front of a more distant star, it acts as a lens to focus the light from the distant star. In fact, it can magnify the star as much as 20 times. While this happens, a light curve is generated by the data and any spikes in the curve generally indicate planets.

(3) This method is capable of detecting Earth-sized planets and may be able to detect interstellar planets. It was originally developed as a way to detect dark matter, but it was found to be useful for exoplanet discovery as well. (4) The one disadvantage to this method is that once the star has passed, there is no going back to check the results with the same method. Results must be checked another way. (3)

Transiting is the final method used to detect exoplanets. When a particular solar system is edge-on with our line of sight, then any potential planets will pass in front of the star, dimming the light slightly. The transiting method is similar to monitoring the brightness of variable stars. Readings need to be taken periodically to monitor the star’s magnitude. If a drop in magnitude over a period of time is detected, then the researcher knows that the star has a neighbor.

1.2.2 Early exoplanet searches

The search for exoplanets began in the mid 1800s when astronomers supposed that the star 70 Ophiuchi had an invisible companion. Though this hypothesis was later disproven, astronomers continued searching for exoplanets. (5)

The most famous star with regards to being suspected of harboring a planet is

Barnard’s star. Edward Emerson Barnard studied a star that he noticed was moving

relative to more distant stars. He named this star after himself. Barnard’s Star is the second closet star to Earth after the Alpha Centauri trinary system and has the largest proper motion of any star, moving 10.3 arcseconds per year. This movement was discovered using astrometry, or the accurate measurement of a star’s position relative to other stars. (3)

Astronomer Peter van de Kamp spent a career-long search for exoplanets and his main focus was Barnard’s Star. Since it was the easiest star to track, it was the best candidate for an astrometric planet search. Van de Kamp spent the years from 1944-

1963 taking 100 photographs a year of Barnard’s Star, amassing 2400 plates. To eliminate as much error as he could, he and his colleagues each analyzed each plate for wobbles in the star’s projected path. He was very wary about announcing the discovery of a new planet because many astronomers in the early half of the twentieth century had done so only to be shot down and ridiculed by others. (6)

In 1963, he announced that he had found evidence of a neighbor to Barnard’s

Star that had a highly eccentric orbit. Six years later, the data pointed to Barnard’s Star having two planets with periods of 12 and 26 years, respectively. Other astronomers tried to verify the results, and in October 1973, astronomers Gatewood and Eichhorn published a paper saying they could not find any evidence of planets. This forced van de Kamp to go back through his work. Even though he realized one error in his work, caused by a dirty lens, and discarded all data taken before 1950, the data still supported his idea. Although he lost credibility because of his errors, he believed to his dying day that he had discovered exoplanets. (6)

It was a long time before scientists returned to the subject of exoplanets. Starting in 1980, a Canadian team of astronomers spent 14 years looking at stars to detect

“wobbles” in their movement by using the Doppler effect. By 1995, teams in California,

Texas, Arizona and Switzerland had joined the search. In October of that year, the

Swiss team announced that they had discovered a planet around 51 Pegasi. The team consisted of two researchers: Swiss astronomer Michel Mayor and French astronomer

Didier Queloz. Mayor had previously helped other astronomers confirm the presence of brown dwarves around other stars and used his knowledge to develop a more precise technique to detect planets. They picked 142 Sun-like stars to study and noticed that the velocity of 51 Pegasi changed every 4 days, as if it had a companion. When 51

Pegasi could no longer be seen, they analyzed their data and were able to predict when the pattern would appear again. (4)

These claims were confirmed by American astronomers Geoffrey Marcy and R.

Paul Butler. Marcy was known as Dr. Death because of all the planet claims he had proven false. His partner Butler helped him to find a better chemical to use in the equipment needed to perform the Doppler method and because of this, they were able to have more precision in their measurements than the Swiss team. From there, the amount of planet discoveries has grown exponentially. (4)

1.3 Transiting and its use at BYU-Idaho

Transiting is the most plausible method of detecting exoplanets using BYU-

Idaho’s Mak-Newt telescope. The light curve should resemble a straight line with a parabola-shaped curve. The following figure shows the light curve of HD 189733.

Figure 1: Graphs of HD 189733 showing the light curve from the transiting planet.

The left graph is the data collected from the ground. The right graph's data was collected by the Hubble Space Telescope. The horizontal axis represents time, measuring from 3 hours before the minimum magnitude to 3 hours after. (7)

Scott Fuller’s thesis proved that the Mak-Newt telescope has the capability to measure changes in the magnitude of variable stars. Since BYU-Idaho does not have the tools needed to detect exoplanets through astrometry or the Doppler method, the method that needs to be used is transiting.

2. Setup for Research

2.1 Daily Setup

Once the telescope has been assembled using the instructions found in

Astrophotography Using the Brigham Young University-Idaho Mak-Newt Telescope, setup only requires using instructions originally given in Research Capabilities of BYU-

Idaho Telescope and Variable Star Study of RV Ursa Major. A more detailed set of instructions for daily setup can be found in Appendix A of this document.

2.2 Using the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia

During my background research of exoplanets, one author mentioned that the best source of information was the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia. (8) This website is kept up by a man named Jean Schneider. It keeps track of all the discovered planets and how they were discovered or confirmed.

As mentioned in the Introduction, scientists can find exoplanets in many different ways. The technology available to us at BYU-Idaho only allows work with transiting planets. Because of this, one should only use the transiting planets catalog in the

Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia.

Inside the planets catalog, there are several columns of information that are not explained very well. Information given includes the mass of the planet in Jupiter masses, radius of planet in Jupiter radii, orbital period in days, semimajor axis in AUs, and orbital eccentricity. It also includes the coordinates needed to find the planet in the sky: the right ascension and declination. There are five columns of information pertaining to the magnitude of the star. Magnitude is a measure of the brightness of a star. The smaller the number, the brighter it appears to be. The dimmest star visible to

the naked human eye is a magnitude 8, and then only if there is no light pollution. The magnitude types mentioned in the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia are V, H, I, J and K.

(8) V is visible spectrum and is the one we want to focus on in our research. H, I, J and

K are different types of infrared spectra. Though the CCD camera can use an infrared filter, it is easier to find stars in the visible spectrum. The lower the magnitude, the brighter the star is and the easier it is to find. (9)

2.3 Choosing a star

When choosing a star from the Extrasolar Planet’s Encyclopedia to study, it is important to choose one within the field of view for the time of year. The best way to do this is to determine the day’s position in the constellations using right ascension and declination. This may require some explanation.

Imagine a star map like a map of the earth. Take the latitude and longitude lines from Earth and expand them to the sky. Right ascension is the heavens’ version of longitude and declination is like latitude. Right ascension (RA) is an arbitrary measure determined by the position of the sun at noon against the back drop of the zodiac on a certain date. Just as Greenwich, England was chosen as 0° longitude, spring equinox was chosen as 0 hours RA. RA numbers range from 0 hours to 23:59:59 hours. Each day in the calendar has an RA number associated with it and from any position on

Earth, one can only see 12 hours of sky at any one time. (10)

Declination is the degrees north or south of the celestial equator, an imaginary line extended outward from Earth’s equator. At any given position on Earth, one can see

180° of declination. Here in Rexburg, we are fairly close to the 44th parallel. This means

that the farthest south we can see in the sky is -46°, or 46° south. Most of the northern celestial hemisphere is visible year-round. (10)

Local meridian, or LM, is an imaginary line running from north to south. Its RA is determined by the date and time of day. For example, if you want to know the RA of the

LM at 10:00 PM on July 31st, you would look up the RA (which is 7° 58' 11.7") and add the amount of hours greater than noon. So the LM at 10:00 PM is 17° 58' 11.7". If you wanted to find the LM on the morning of the same day, say 4:15 AM, you would use the same procedure and you should come out with 0° 13' 11.7" since 4:15 AM is 7 hours and 45 minutes earlier than noon. (10)

Knowing the LM at any given time is essential to knowing what part of the sky you can see. To figure out the span of the sky you can see, add or subtract 6 hours from the LM. The east horizon’s RA will be 6 hours less than the LM and the west horizon’s RA will be 6 hours greater than the LM. So, following the example of 4:15 AM on July 31st, the east horizon’s RA is 18° 13' 11.7" and the west horizon’s RA is 6° 13'

11.7". In Rexburg at that time, one can see stars with RAs between 18° 13' 11.7" and 6°

13' 11.7" and declinations between -46° and 90°. (10)

A chart of each day’s right ascension at noon and sunset can be found in

Appendix B to aid in selecting a star to study.

2.4 Preparing for File Storage

Perhaps it is obvious to some people that a good filing system is needed to store both the images taken and the corresponding plots. It is very important to have a good organization so that images can be referenced and used later if needed. I organized first by star and then within each star, I made folders for each date that I imaged. Within

those folders, I made a folder just for the bias, dark and flat images. Use whatever organization works best for you; just make sure that there is a way to know when each image was taken and which star it was.

3. Procedure 3.1 Imaging

Detecting exoplanets is very similar to keeping track of variable stars. Most of this project requires images of the star being studied.

3.1.1 Taking bias, dark and flat frames

It is important to take bias, dark and flat frames so that most of the noise in the original pictures can be filtered out. Some of the noise that gets filtered out is from the atmosphere and some of it is from the camera itself. Hot or damaged pixels may interfere with readings just as much as a pocket of moisture in the atmosphere.

After the telescope and CCD device are set up, you will need to take your flat frames. Sometime around twilight when the sky is most evenly lit is the best time to take them. They should be exposed for as long as you expose your images. (2)

Just before starting to image, you should take bias and dark frames. Bias frames will automatically time themselves for exposure time, but your dark frames should be exposed for as long as you expose your pictures. It also may be a good idea to take bias and dark frames just after your imaging as well. (2)

I exposed my pictures for 10 seconds a piece. This made it so that I did not have any elongated stars in my pictures.

3.1.2 Correcting images in MaxIm DL

At first, I corrected my images in CCDSoft. Instructions on this are given in Scott

Fuller’s thesis. (2) However, when I tried to gather data from my corrected images using

MaxIm DL, the autotag feature would not work. I assumed that taking pictures with the same program as what you correct with made the autotag feature not work. I later found

out that the autoguide feature had shifted my field of view so my star was no longer in sight.

To correct images in MaxIm DL

1. Open all the images needing to be corrected.

2. Click on Process, then Set Calibration.

3. Go down to the bottom of the menu where it says Source Folder. Hit the “…” button.

4. Select the folder in which you stored all bias, dark, and flat frames and images.

5. Hit Autogenerate.

6. At the top of the screen, check all groups to make sure that they have frames in

them. If any are duplicates or don’t contain frames, highlight the group and hit the

“Remove Group” button. Then click OK.

7. Next, go to Process>>Calibrate All. This will correct all your images.

3.1.3 Measuring Magnitudes

1. Once all images are corrected, go to Analyze>>Photometry. This will bring up a

menu. If you corrected your images at an earlier time, make sure all the images you

want to analyze are open.

2. In the drop-down menu under “Mouse click tags as” on the Photometry menu, select

New Object. Click on the star that you are studying. Autotag should tag this same

star in all of the images.

3. Next, click New Reference Star. Click on a brighter star with a known magnitude.

Under the drop-down menu, input the magnitude.

4. Next, select New Check Star in the drop-down menu. Select another bright star

whose magnitude is also known.

5. Once every image has been tagged, hit the “View Plot” button. This should generate

a plot of each star’s magnitude versus time.

6. Select the “Save Data” button on the plot to save the data. This file can be opened in

Microsoft Excel.

7. For further information, please refer to Research Capabilities of BYU-Idaho

Telescope and Variable Star Study of RV Ursa Major. (2)

3.2 Gathering Data

Once the plot is saved, open it in Excel. I found that it is a good idea to have each day’s plots as its own separate file and also to make a master copy where you combine all the data as it comes. Once all of the imaging work is done, all the plots should be recombined into another master file to make sure there are no inconsistencies.

4. Results I started by studying HD 149026 for practice in using the computer programs, and then switched to HD 189733 because of its smaller period and brighter magnitude.

HD 149026 is located at Right Ascension 16:30:29 and declination 38:20:50 and is visible in the sky from May to September. The planet has a period of 2.8758887 days and a magnitude of 8.15.

HD 189733 is located at Right Ascension 20:00:43 and declination 22:42:39. It is visible in the hours before midnight from mid-June through September and has a magnitude of 7.67. This system’s planet has a period of 2.21857312 days. It is located very close to M27, the Dumbbell Nebula, which partially appears in images of HD

189733 frequently.

The purpose of my study was to detect a dip in the brightness of HD 189733 to show that BYU-Idaho’s telescope is capable of detecting transiting exoplanets. The expected light curve should resemble a flat line with a concave-up parabolic curve somewhere in the middle.

The results from HD 149026 were obtained on July 6th and 9th 2011. Usable results from HD 189733 were obtained between July 29th and September 1st 2011.

Unfortunately, between July 10th and 28th, I took measurements from a star I thought was HD 189733, but later realized was too faint. I took 10 second exposures using the clear filter on the school’s SBIG ST‐7 XME camera.

4.1 Results of HD 149026

As illustrated in Figure 2, a star’s magnitude will fluctuate. This is because of atmospheric conditions. Here in Idaho, astronomers might encounter pockets of

humidity, dust clouds and brush fire smoke. All of these will interfere with how bright a star appears.

HD 149026 7-6-11 9.3 9.29

9.28 9.27 9.26 9.25 Magnitude 9.24 9.23 9.22 2455749.723000000 2455749.726000000 2455749.729000000 2455749.732000000 Time (Julian Date)

Figure 2. Graph of the measured magnitude of HD 149026, July 6, 2011 A cursory glance at the data reveals that the average magnitude of the star I measured does not match HD 149026’s magnitude. There are a few reasons this might have happened. I might have located the wrong star. There might have been a little haze or fog in the area the telescope was pointing. Another day’s data might reveal our problem.

9.32 HD 149026 7-9-11

9.31

9.3 Magnitude 9.29

9.28 2455752.706000000 2455752.710000000 2455752.714000000 2455752.718000000 Time (Julian Date)

Figure 3: Graph of magnitude of HD 149026, July 9, 2011

The magnitude of this star appears to be the same as the last one. The large gap in the data in Figure 3 is due to the fact that I needed to let the other researchers have a

turn with the telescope. The lesson I should have learned from HD 149026 is to make sure the star you are looking at is the one you think you are looking at.

4.2 Inconsistencies in Light Curve

Over the next few weeks, I took as many images as I could of HD 189733 to try to span the entire period and make sure I obtained data for most of it. Unfortunately, the timing of my visits to the observatory and the few weeks lost looking at the wrong star contributed to not being able to get all the data I wanted to.

One useful thing learned is that pictures taken too soon after sunset will develop rings and skew the magnitudes of the stars. Compare the graphs of the star with the bad data versus the one with the incorrect readings taken out:

7.8

7.6

7.4 Magnitude 7.2

7 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 Time in cycle (days)

Figure 4: Graph of HD 189733 with bad data

7.8

7.6

Magnitude 7.4

7.2 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 Time in cycle (days)

Figure 5: Graph of HD 189733 with ringed image data removed

The second graph has a bit of an inconsistency as well. I took out the data from all the ringed images that I caught. Here is a close up of the inconsistent period still left in my data.

8 7.9

7.8 7.7 7.6 7.5 Magnitude 7.4 7.3 7.2 0.297 0.307 0.317 0.327 0.337 0.347 Time in cycle (days)

Figure 6: Close up of inconsistent section of Figure 5.

It is very possible that either I did not discard all of the misleading information from images with rings or that there were a few pockets of haze on the night I took this data.

4.3 Analysis of HD 189733

The measured magnitude for HD 189733 was 7.65 ±0.03. The accepted magnitude of 7.67 is within my measured range. No discernible light curves were made

manifest. The curve, for the most part, demonstrates that fairly accurate measurements of a star’s magnitude can be made using the telescope.

4.4 Post Project Results

In hindsight I learned a few things. The first is that a plan of action is needed when detecting things that periodically occur, such as a transit. . For example, HD

189733 b has a period of about 2.21 days. In order to be able to catch the transit, identify a day to start. Then, knowing that .21 days is about 5 hours, start at the same time 2 days after the initial data and this will make it so the planet is 5 hours behind where it was on the first day. Continue this pattern, and it should take 11 consecutive imaging sessions to catch the entire cycle.

The second thing I learned is that the change in magnitude of the stars is too small for the telescope to detect. I should have researched this before gathering the data so I could anticipate whether or not I would see a light curve. The magnitude of the drop in light during the transit needs to be large enough for the telescope to detect even with atmospheric errors. One equation found during my post-results research is the percentage of light drop of the star, given by: (3)

(1)

According to Kasting, a 1% drop in light is relatively easy to detect. That is, relatively easy to detect in places that have better atmospheric conditions than Eastern

Idaho. It is important to make sure that the drop in light can be detected among all the other “noise” from the atmosphere. Looking back at the data for HD 189733, the radius of the planet is 1.178 times the radius of Jupiter and the star’s radius is .788 times the

Sun’s radius (8). This gives us a percent drop of 2.36%. Now, one may assume that this

means that when the planet transits that the magnitude will drop to about 98% of its original magnitude. This is not the case because the magnitude scale of stars is a logarithmic scale (10). The brightness will drop to 98%, but the magnitude changes very little. The equation for finding magnitude in comparison with a known magnitude is given by: (10)

(2)

Moving things around a little, we get the equation for a change in magnitude.

(3)

Taking m1 and B1 to be the magnitude and brightness, respectively of the star during the transit and m2 and B2 to be the magnitude and brightness of the star normally, we find that the change in magnitude is about .026, which is less than the measured error of

.03. I performed this same calculation on other exoplanets visible in the sky at the same time as HD 189733, and the greatest change in magnitude was from CoRoT-2 at .031.

Additional stars’ data can be found in Appendix D. To be able to really detect a light curve, the desired change in magnitude should be twice the amount of error. Unless we can find a way to reduce the error, it is not possible to detect transiting exoplanets with the Mak-Newt telescope.

5. Conclusion and Groundwork for Future Research

5.1 Conclusion

The main objective of my research was to discover if BYU-Idaho’s telescope is capable of detecting transiting exoplanets. The data collected gave me an error measurement that allowed me to determine if a light curve could be detected. Based on calculations, transiting exoplanets cannot be detected with the Mak-Newt telescope.

5.2 Future exoplanet searches

Using all the devices, procedures and programs I used, detecting exoplanets is nearly impossible. However, there are a few things that might help make it possible on either the Mak-Newt telescope or on the larger 24 inch telescope. There are many resources at students’ disposal, including books at the library, faculty and senior theses from previous students that will help with this.

If the error can be taken down to .005, then some of the exoplanets in Appendix

D could be detected. One way to minimize the error is to take as much data as possible.

Sufficient time is needed for this research project because of the amount of data that needs to be collected to ensure that the entire cycle is detected. An observation schedule needs to be organized and adequate calculations need to be performed before the data is taken.

There are a few other things that could help as well. Once the “dip” in the light curve has been found, or at least estimated, it would be wise to focus on calculating when the best time to capture it is. If more data is taken from the light curve, it could help minimize the error. Also, when analyzing the images, some of the error might be reduced by using multiple check stars.

Keeping the telescope in focus could help as well. The school recently purchased an auto-focuser, but it has not been put into action yet. Perhaps if a focusing program runs during the imaging sessions, the light captured would be more focused and less subject to fluctuation. This is perhaps a good idea for a research project in addition to taking images of known exoplanet-harboring stars.

The last thing that might be helpful is carefully researching which star is to be studied. A few things to consider when choosing the star include the radius of the star, the radius of the planet, and the type of star. Try to find combinations of the biggest planet radii and the smallest star radii. Keep in mind that while it may be a good idea to choose a star much smaller than our Sun, the disadvantage will be that it may be too dim to detect or image nicely. Red main sequence stars, classified as M-type stars, are an example of this. Stars that are more Sun-like, such as G or K-type stars will be the best choice.

If students are willing to put the time into collecting and checking data, they will find this to be an interesting and fulfilling project. It will increase their knowledge in this field and the experience will be invaluable to them in their future studies and careers.

Bibliography 1. Cameron Jones, Astrophotography Using the Brigham Young University-Idaho Mak-

Newt Telescope. (2010)

2. Scott Fuller, Research Capabilities of BYU-Idaho Telescope and Variable Star Study of RV Ursa Major. (2010)

3. Sara Seager and Jack J. Lissauer, Introduction to Exoplanets. (University of Arizona

Press, Tucson, 2010)

4. James Kasting, How to Find a Habitable Planet. (Princeton University Press,

Princeton, 2010)

5. Alan Boss, Looking for Earths, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New York, 1998)

6. Ken Croswell, Planet Quest: The Epic Discovery of Alien Solar Systems. (The Free

Press, New York, 1997)

7. Joshua N. Winn, Exoplanet Transits and Occultations. (University of Arizona Press,

Tucson, 2010)

8. Jean Schneider, The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia. http://exoplanet.eu/catalog.php. (Accessed: October 2011)

9. A Dictionary of Astronomy. Encyclopedia.com. http://www.encyclopedia.com.

(Accessed: May 3, 2011)

10. W. Brian Tonks, Descriptive Astronomy. (2008)

Appendix A―Setup 1. Carefully remove tarps from telescope. 2. Uncover lens and attach Dew Shield. 3. Connect telescope to the computer. a. Insert 9-Pin Keyspan cable into the bottom RS232 serial port on the GTD Control Pad. b. Insert USB end into computer. 4. Attach CCD camera to telescope. a. Remove eyepiece cover and insert CCD camera into the eyepiece so handle bars are parallel to body of telescope. b. Screw into place as tightly as possible. c. Secure CCD camera. d. Move camera away from telescope by using the course focus knob. e. Tie rope around body of telescope, loop each end around a handle and tie a knot. 5. Connect CCD to power supply. a. Thread power cable under securing harness on the body. b. Plug cable into power socket. c. Flip switch on power box to turn on. 6. Connect the CCD to computer. a. Thread USB cable under harness. b. Plug cable into USB socket. c. Plug other end into computer. 7. Connect the Astro-Physics hand controller to the GTD Control Pad. 8. Make sure the telescope is aligned properly. a. Place a level on the counter-weight shaft. b. If not level, unscrew at least 2 of the cross-shaped bolts just above the GTD Control Pad. Move until level. c. Place level on telescope body. d. If not level, unscrew at least 2 of the cross-shaped bolts near the base of the body restraints. Move until level. 9. Connect the telescope’s power supply. a. Plug power supply cable into 12V connection. b. Screw end to secure. c. Flip switch on power box. 10. Calibrate Astro-Physics Hand Controller. a. Input “1” where it asks for Location and press Go To. b. Select “Resume Ref-Park 1.” 11. Open TheSky 6 Professional Edition. 12. Set up TheSky.

a. Click Data (?)>>Location. b. Under User-Defined Locations, select “Rexburg, Id.” c. Hit Apply. d. Click Data (?)>>Time. e. Click on the icon called “Use Computer’s Clock.” f. Set Orientation as Zenith Up. 13. Connect Telescope to computer by clicking Telescope>>Link>>Establish. 14. Connect CCD to CCDSoft. a. Click Camera>>Setup. b. Click Connect. c. Click Temperature. d. Set temperature at -5°C and click the On option. e. Click OK. 15. Find a bright object east of the meridian, use TheSky to slew the telescope to it and center it in the camera using the keypad. Sync it with TheSky. 16. Focus the CCD camera. 17. Take any calibration images if needed. 18. Point telescope at object of study. 19. Set up auto-guiding. 20. Under Auto Save, create a new folder for the day and object and name your images. 21. Set image time, number of images, and other preferences for images. 22. Take pictures!

Appendix B―Right Ascension Chart

time of 29-Jun 5° 48' 0.5" 21:14 15° 2' 0.5" Date RA-DMS sunset LM Sunset 30-Jun 5° 52' 4.6" 21:13 15° 5' 4.6" 16-May 3° 9' 27.0" 20:48 11° 57' 27.0" time of 17-May 3° 13' 17.0" 20:49 12° 2' 17.0" Date RA-DMS sunset LM Sunset 18-May 3° 17' 25.0" 20:50 12° 7' 25.0" 1-Jul 5° 56' 8.7" 21:13 15° 9' 8.7" 19-May 3° 21' 38.0" 20:51 12° 12' 38.0" 2-Jul 6° 0' 12.8" 21:13 15° 13' 12.8" 20-May 3° 25' 37.0" 20:52 12° 17' 37.0" 3-Jul 6° 4' 16.9" 21:13 15° 17' 16.9" 21-May 3° 29' 41.1" 20:53 12° 22' 41.1" 4-Jul 6° 8' 21.0" 21:13 15° 21' 21.0" 22-May 3° 33' 45.2" 20:54 12° 27' 45.2" 5-Jul 6° 12' 25.1" 21:12 15° 24' 25.1" 23-May 3° 37' 49.3" 20:55 12° 32' 49.3" 6-Jul 6° 16' 29.2" 21:12 15° 28' 29.2" 24-May 3° 41' 53.4" 20:56 12° 37' 53.4" 7-Jul 6° 20' 33.3" 21:12 15° 32' 33.3" 25-May 3° 45' 57.5" 20:57 12° 42' 57.5" 8-Jul 6° 24' 37.4" 21:11 15° 35' 37.4" 26-May 3° 50' 1.6" 20:58 12° 48' 1.6" 9-Jul 6° 28' 41.5" 21:11 15° 39' 41.5" 27-May 3° 54' 5.7" 20:59 12° 53' 5.7" 10-Jul 6° 32' 45.6" 21:10 15° 42' 45.6" 28-May 3° 58' 9.8" 21:00 12° 58' 9.8" 11-Jul 6° 36' 49.7" 21:10 15° 46' 49.7" 2-Jun 4° 2' 13.9" 21:03 13° 5' 13.9" 12-Jul 6° 40' 53.8" 21:09 15° 49' 53.8" 3-Jun 4° 6' 18.0" 21:04 13° 10' 18.0" 13-Jul 6° 44' 57.9" 21:08 15° 52' 57.9" 4-Jun 4° 10' 22.1" 21:05 13° 15' 22.1" 14-Jul 6° 49' 2.0" 21:08 15° 57' 2.0" 5-Jun 4° 14' 26.2" 21:05 13° 19' 26.2" 15-Jul 6° 53' 6.1" 21:07 16° 0' 6.1" 6-Jun 4° 18' 30.3" 21:06 13° 24' 30.3" 16-Jul 6° 57' 10.2" 21:06 16° 3' 10.2" 7-Jun 4° 22' 34.4" 21:07 13° 29' 34.4" 17-Jul 7° 1' 14.3" 21:06 16° 7' 14.3" 8-Jun 4° 26' 38.5" 21:08 13° 34' 38.5" 18-Jul 7° 5' 18.4" 21:05 16° 10' 18.4" 9-Jun 4° 30' 42.6" 21:08 13° 38' 42.6" 19-Jul 7° 9' 22.5" 21:04 16° 13' 22.5" 10-Jun 4° 34' 46.7" 21:09 13° 43' 46.7" 20-Jul 7° 13' 26.6" 21:03 16° 16' 26.6" 11-Jun 4° 38' 50.8" 21:09 13° 47' 50.8" 21-Jul 7° 17' 30.7" 21:02 16° 19' 30.7" 12-Jun 4° 42' 54.9" 21:10 13° 52' 54.9" 22-Jul 7° 21' 34.8" 21:01 16° 22' 34.8" 13-Jun 4° 46' 59.0" 21:10 13° 56' 59.0" 23-Jul 7° 25' 38.9" 21:01 16° 26' 38.9" 14-Jun 4° 51' 3.1" 21:11 14° 2' 3.1" 24-Jul 7° 29' 43.0" 21:00 16° 29' 43.0" 15-Jun 4° 55' 7.2" 21:11 14° 6' 7.2" 25-Jul 7° 33' 47.1" 20:59 16° 32' 47.1" 16-Jun 4° 59' 11.3" 21:12 14° 11' 11.3" 26-Jul 7° 37' 51.2" 20:57 16° 34' 51.2" 17-Jun 5° 3' 15.4" 21:12 14° 15' 15.4" 27-Jul 7° 41' 55.3" 20:56 16° 37' 55.3" 18-Jun 5° 7' 19.5" 21:12 14° 19' 19.5" 28-Jul 7° 45' 59.4" 20:55 16° 40' 59.4" 19-Jun 5° 11' 23.6" 21:13 14° 24' 23.6" 29-Jul 7° 50' 3.5" 20:54 16° 44' 3.5" 20-Jun 5° 15' 27.7" 21:13 14° 28' 27.7" 30-Jul 7° 54' 7.6" 20:53 16° 47' 7.6" 21-Jun 5° 19' 31.8" 21:13 14° 32' 31.8" 31-Jul 7° 58' 11.7" 20:52 16° 50' 11.7" 22-Jun 5° 23' 35.9" 21:13 14° 36' 35.9" 1-Aug 8° 2' 15.8" 20:51 16° 53' 15.8" 23-Jun 5° 27' 40.0" 21:13 14° 40' 40.0" 2-Aug 8° 6' 19.9" 20:49 16° 55' 19.9" 25-Jun 5° 31' 44.1" 21:14 14° 45' 44.1" 3-Aug 8° 10' 24.0" 20:48 16° 58' 24.0" 26-Jun 5° 35' 48.2" 21:14 14° 49' 48.2" 4-Aug 8° 14' 28.1" 20:47 17° 1' 28.1" 27-Jun 5° 39' 52.3" 21:14 14° 53' 52.3" 5-Aug 8° 18' 32.2" 20:45 17° 3' 32.2" 28-Jun 5° 43' 56.4" 21:14 14° 57' 56.4" 6-Aug 8° 22' 36.3" 20:44 17° 6' 36.3"

7-Aug 8° 26' 40.4" 20:43 17° 9' 40.4" 24-Aug 9° 35' 50.1" 20:17 17° 52' 50.1" 8-Aug 8° 30' 44.5" 20:41 17° 11' 44.5" 9-Aug 8° 34' 48.6" 20:40 17° 14' 48.6" time of 10-Aug 8° 38' 52.7" 20:39 17° 17' 52.7" Date RA-DMS sunset LM Sunset time of 25-Aug 9° 39' 54.2" 20:15 17° 54' 54.2" Date RA-DMS sunset LM Sunset 26-Aug 9° 43' 58.3" 20:13 17° 56' 58.3" 11-Aug 8° 42' 56.8" 20:37 17° 19' 56.8" 27-Aug 9° 48' 2.4" 20:12 18° 0' 2.4" 12-Aug 8° 47' 0.9" 20:36 17° 23' 0.9" 28-Aug 9° 52' 6.5" 20:10 18° 2' 6.5" 13-Aug 8° 51' 5.0" 20:34 17° 25' 5.0" 29-Aug 9° 56' 10.6" 20:08 18° 4' 10.6" 14-Aug 8° 55' 9.1" 20:33 17° 28' 9.1" 30-Aug 10° 0' 14.7" 20:07 18° 7' 14.7" 15-Aug 8° 59' 13.2" 20:31 17° 30' 13.2" 31-Aug 10° 4' 18.8" 20:05 18° 9' 18.8" 16-Aug 9° 3' 17.3" 20:30 17° 33' 17.3" 1-Sep 10° 8' 22.9" 20:03 18° 11' 22.9" 17-Aug 9° 7' 21.4" 20:28 17° 35' 21.4" 2-Sep 10° 12' 27.0" 20:01 18° 13' 27.0" 18-Aug 9° 11' 25.5" 20:26 17° 37' 25.5" 3-Sep 10° 16' 31.1" 20:00 18° 16' 31.1" 19-Aug 9° 15' 29.6" 20:25 17° 40' 29.6" 4-Sep 10° 20' 35.2" 19:58 18° 18' 35.2" 20-Aug 9° 19' 33.7" 20:23 17° 42' 33.7" 5-Sep 10° 24' 39.3" 19:56 18° 20' 39.3" 21-Aug 9° 23' 37.8" 20:22 17° 45' 37.8" 6-Sep 10° 28' 43.4" 19:54 18° 22' 43.4" 22-Aug 9° 27' 41.9" 20:20 17° 47' 41.9" 7-Sep 10° 32' 47.5" 19:53 18° 25' 47.5" 23-Aug 9° 31' 46.0" 20:18 17° 49' 46.0" 8-Sep 10° 36' 51.6" 19:51 18° 27' 51.6"

Appendix C―Data Table HD 149026

Time (Julian Date) Obj1 Ref1 Chk1 2455749.729104540 9.286 12.38 13.496 2455749.723540060 9.26 12.38 13.504 2455749.729250820 9.27 12.38 13.499 2455749.723686340 9.264 12.38 13.491 Time (Julian Date) Obj1 Ref1 Chk1 2455749.723832380 9.263 12.38 13.495 2455749.729397320 9.26 12.38 13.503 2455749.723978650 9.271 12.38 13.504 2455749.729545000 9.284 12.38 13.517 2455749.724125040 9.267 12.38 13.489 2455749.729691150 9.264 12.38 13.5 2455749.724271560 9.263 12.38 13.501 2455749.729837540 9.271 12.38 13.511 2455749.724417830 9.279 12.38 13.53 2455749.729983930 9.269 12.38 13.527 2455749.724564100 9.282 12.38 13.519 2455749.730129970 9.275 12.38 13.513 2455749.724711300 9.252 12.38 13.49 2455749.730276490 9.274 12.38 13.507 2455749.724860130 9.256 12.38 13.489 2455749.730422880 9.256 12.38 13.49 2455749.725006640 9.27 12.38 13.509 2455749.730568920 9.26 12.38 13.505 2455749.725152800 9.248 12.38 13.501 2455749.730715190 9.289 12.38 13.524 2455749.725298950 9.289 12.38 13.54 2455749.730861350 9.269 12.38 13.498 2455749.725447210 9.266 12.38 13.492 2455749.731007390 9.265 12.38 13.488 2455749.725594870 9.271 12.38 13.51 2455749.731153910 9.257 12.38 13.492 2455749.725742180 9.267 12.38 13.5 2455749.731300060 9.274 12.38 13.531 2455749.725888340 9.26 12.38 13.502 2455749.731446450 9.269 12.38 13.495 2455749.726034390 9.273 12.38 13.518 2455749.731592610 9.266 12.38 13.491 2455749.726180550 9.265 12.38 13.512 2455749.731738650 9.261 12.38 13.51 2455749.726326480 9.266 12.38 13.503 2455749.731886330 9.276 12.38 13.515 2455749.726473100 9.271 12.38 13.533 2455749.732032830 9.231 12.38 13.501 2455749.726619250 9.283 12.38 13.535 2455749.732178990 9.285 12.38 13.516 2455749.726765410 9.273 12.38 13.491 2455752.707653580 9.3 12.38 13.537 2455749.726911580 9.261 12.38 13.513 2455752.707805190 9.293 12.38 13.499 2455749.727057620 9.266 12.38 13.507 2455752.707954370 9.313 12.38 13.534 2455749.727203780 9.257 12.38 13.503 2455752.708104460 9.304 12.38 13.517 2455749.727349820 9.283 12.38 13.53 2455752.708252250 9.305 12.38 13.52 2455749.727496090 9.275 12.38 13.499 2455752.708400260 9.301 12.38 13.556 2455749.727642250 9.293 12.38 13.515 2455752.708549560 9.305 12.38 13.529 2455749.727788290 9.271 12.38 13.501 2455752.708698140 9.302 12.38 13.54 2455749.727934460 9.275 12.38 13.528 2455752.708845690 9.294 12.38 13.516 2455749.728080740 9.27 12.38 13.513 2455752.712636440 9.297 12.38 13.53 2455749.728226780 9.262 12.38 13.504 2455752.712786430 9.304 12.38 13.541 2455749.728373280 9.26 12.38 13.508 2455752.712935960 9.303 12.38 13.549 2455749.728519560 9.283 12.38 13.489 2455752.713090920 9.289 12.38 13.528 2455749.728665600 9.284 12.38 13.516 2455752.713240670 9.298 12.38 13.513 2455749.728812000 9.253 12.38 13.484 2455752.713390310 9.283 12.38 13.522 2455749.728958040 9.269 12.38 13.502 2455752.713539950 9.299 12.38 13.51

2455752.713689120 9.298 12.38 13.514 2455752.715336740 9.294 12.38 13.523 2455752.713837830 9.298 12.38 13.528 2455752.715484750 9.305 12.38 13.549 2455752.713985840 9.302 12.38 13.503 2455752.715633240 9.307 12.38 13.55 2455752.714133390 9.284 12.38 13.491 2455752.715782400 9.3 12.38 13.528 Time (Julian Date) Obj1 Ref1 Chk1 2455752.715930310 9.291 12.38 13.514 2455752.714281640 9.297 12.38 13.527 2455752.716077970 9.306 12.38 13.531 2455752.714430460 9.305 12.38 13.55 2455752.716228540 9.307 12.38 13.554 2455752.714579750 9.302 12.38 13.515 2455752.716376430 9.315 12.38 13.542 2455752.714727650 9.305 12.38 13.513 2455752.716523750 9.294 12.38 13.522 2455752.714880640 9.314 12.38 13.518 2455752.715030170 9.297 12.38 13.509 2455752.715179680 9.307 12.38 13.52

Appendix D- Drop in Magnitude

Radi uss- Radiusp Period Mag- (Rsun mag Planet (Rjup) (days) RA Dec visible ) % drop drop

GJ 1214 b 0.245 1.58040482 17 15 19 +04 57 50 14.71 0.21 0.014382 -0.01573

GJ 436 b 0.365 2.6438986 11 42 11 +26 42 23 10.68 0.464 0.006538 -0.00712

HAT-P-12 b 0.959 3.2130598 13 57 34 +43 29 37 12.84 0.7 0.019832 -0.02175

HAT-P-18 b 0.995 5.508023 17 05 24 +33 00 45 12.76 0.749 0.018647 -0.02044

HAT-P-11 b 0.452 4.887804 19 50 50 +48 04 51 9.59 0.75 0.003838 -0.00417

CoRoT-8 b 0.57 6.21229 19 26 21 +01 25 36 14.8 0.77 0.00579 -0.0063

WASP-10 b 1.08 3.0927616 23 15 58 +31 27 46 12.7 0.783 0.020102 -0.02205

HD 189733 b 1.178 2.21857312 20 00 43 +22 42 39 7.67 0.788 0.023613 -0.02595

CoRoT-10 b 0.97 13.2406 19 24 15 +00 44 46 15.22 0.79 0.01593 -0.01743

HAT-P-3 b 0.827 2.899703 13 44 23 +48 01 43 11.86 0.799 0.01132 -0.01236

TrES-3 1.305 1.30618608 17 52 07 +37 32 46 12.4 0.813 0.027225 -0.02997

Qatar-1 b 1.164 1.420033 20 13 32 +65 09 43 12.84 0.823 0.021136 -0.02319

WASP-2 b 1.079 2.1522254 20 30 54 +06 25 46 11.98 0.834 0.017686 -0.01937

HAT-P-17 b 1.01 10.338523 21 38 09 +30 29 19 10.54 0.837 0.015386 -0.01683

TrES-1 1.099 3.0300722 19 04 09 +36 37 57 11.79 0.85 0.017664 -0.01935

WASP-6 b 1.224 3.361006 23 12 38 -22 40 26 12.4 0.87 0.020914 -0.02295

WASP-39 b 1.27 4.0055259 14 29 18 -03 26 40 12.11 0.895 0.021276 -0.02335 HAT-P-

27/WASP-40 b 1.055 3.0395721 14 51 04 +05 56 50 12.21 0.898 0.014584 -0.01595

CoRoT-2 b 1.465 1.7429964 19 27 07 +01 23 02 12.57 0.902 0.027873 -0.03069

XO-1 b 1.184 3.9415128 16 02 12 +28 10 11 11.3 0.928 0.0172 -0.01884

WASP-43 b 0.93 0.813475 10 19 38 -09 48 23 12.4 0.93 0.010566 -0.01153

WASP-34 b 1.22 4.3176782 11 01 36 23 51 38 10.4 0.93 0.018183 -0.01992

CoRoT-9 b 1.05 95.2738 18 43 09 +06 12 15 13.7 0.94 0.013184 -0.01441

WASP-16 b 1.008 3.1186009 14 18 44 -20 16 32 11.3 0.946 0.011997 -0.0131

55 Cnc e 0.19 0.73654 08 52 37 +28 20 02 5.95 0.95 0.000423 -0.00046

WASP-25 b 1.26 3.76483 13 01 26 -27 31 20 11.9 0.95 0.018587 -0.02037

WASP-8 b 1.038 8.158715 23 59 36 -35 01 53 9.9 0.953 0.012535 -0.0137

WASP-37 b 1.136 3.577471 14 47 47 +01 03 54 12.7 0.977 0.014285 -0.01562

HD 80606 b 0.921 111.43637 09 22 37 +50 36 13 8.93 0.98 0.009332 -0.01018

TrES-2 1.169 2.470614 19 07 14 +49 18 59 11.41 1 0.014439 -0.01579

CoRoT-6 b 1.166 8.886593 18 44 18 +06 39 48 13.9 1.025 0.013673 -0.01495

HAT-P-22 b 1.08 3.21222 10 22 44 +50 07 42 9.73 1.04 0.011395 -0.01244

WASP-28 b 1.12 3.408821 23 34 28 -01 34 48 12 1.05 0.012022 -0.01313

Kepler-10 b 0.127 0.837495 19 02 43 +50 14 29 10.96 1.056 0.000153 -0.00017

WASP-21 b 1.07 4.322482 23 09 58 +18 23 46 11.6 1.06 0.010767 -0.01175

WASP-48 b 1.67 2.143634 19 24 39 +55 28 23 11.06 1.09 0.024803 -0.02727

Kepler-9 b 0.842 19.243158 19 02 18 +38 24 03 13.9 1.1 0.006191 -0.00674

Kepler-9 c 0.823 38.90861 19 02 18 +38 24 03 13.9 1.1 0.005915 -0.00644

Kepler-9 d 0.147 1.592851 19 02 18 +38 24 03 13.9 1.1 0.000189 -0.0002

Kepler-11 b 0.1762 10.30375 19 48 28 +41 54 33 13.7 1.1 0.000271 -0.00029

Kepler-11 c 0.28175 13.02502 19 48 28 +41 54 33 13.7 1.1 0.000693 -0.00075

Kepler-11 d 0.3068 22.68719 19 48 28 +41 54 33 13.7 1.1 0.000822 -0.00089

Kepler-11 e 0.4043 31.9959 19 48 28 +41 54 33 13.7 1.1 0.001427 -0.00155

Kepler-11 f 0.2335 46.68876 19 48 28 +41 54 33 13.7 1.1 0.000476 -0.00052

Kepler-11 g 0.3274 118.37774 19 48 28 +41 54 33 13.7 1.1 0.000936 -0.00102

HAT-P-21 b 1.024 4.124461 11 25 06 +41 01 41 11.46 1.105 0.009074 -0.0099

HAT-P-1 b 1.217 4.4652934 22 57 47 +38 40 30 10.4 1.115 0.012588 -0.01375

HD 209458 b 1.38 3.52474859 22 03 10 +18 53 04 7.65 1.146 0.015322 -0.01676

WASP-24 b 1.104 2.3412083 15 08 52 +02 20 36 11.3 1.147 0.009789 -0.01068

OGLE-TR-10 b 1.72 3.10129 17 51 28 -29 52 34 - 1.16 0.023231 -0.02552

HAT-P-5 b 1.26 2.788491 18 17 37 +36 37 18 12 1.167 0.012317 -0.01346

SWEEPS-04 0.81 4.2 17 58 54 -29 11 21 18.8 1.18 0.004979 -0.00542

HAT-P-23 b 1.368 1.212884 20 24 30 +16 45 44 11.94 1.203 0.013663 -0.01494

WASP-31 b 1.537 3.405909 11 17 45 -19 03 17 11.7 1.24 0.016234 -0.01777

WASP-14 b 1.259 2.2437704 14 33 06 +21 53 41 9.75 1.297 0.009956 -0.01086

WASP-3 b 1.454 1.846837 18 34 32 +35 39 42 10.64 1.31 0.013017 -0.01423

OGLE-TR-56 b 1.2 1.211909 17 56 35 -29 32 21 16.6 1.32 0.008732 -0.00952

WASP-38 b 1.079 6.871815 16 15 50 +10 01 57 9.42 1.365 0.006602 -0.00719

CoRoT-11 b 1.43 2.99433 18 42 45 +05 56 16 12.94 1.37 0.011512 -0.01257

WASP-17 b 1.991 3.735438 15 59 51 -28 03 42 11.6 1.38 0.021994 -0.02415

Kepler-6 b 1.323 3.23423 19 47 21 +48 14 24 - 1.391 0.009558 -0.01043

WASP-7 b 1.33 4.9546416 20 44 10 -39 13 31 9.51 1.432 0.009115 -0.00994

SWEEPS-11 1.13 1.796 17 59 03 -29 11 54 19.83 1.45 0.006417 -0.00699

HAT-P-6 b 1.33 3.852985 23 39 06 +42 27 58 10.5 1.46 0.008768 -0.00956

HAT-P-14 b 1.2 4.627657 17 20 28 +38 14 32 9.98 1.468 0.00706 -0.00769

WASP-15 b 1.428 3.7520656 13 55 43 -32 09 35 10.9 1.477 0.009877 -0.01078

Kepler-8 b 1.419 3.52254 18 45 09 +42 27 04 13.9 1.486 0.009635 -0.01051

Kepler-4 b 0.357 3.21346 19 02 28 +50 08 09 12.7 1.487 0.000609 -0.00066

HD 149026 b 0.718 2.8758887 16 30 29 +38 20 50 8.15 1.497 0.002431 -0.00264

HAT-P-13 b 1.28 2.916293 08 39 32 +47 21 07 10.62 1.56 0.007114 -0.00775

CoRoT-3 b 1.01 4.2568 19 28 13 +00 07 19 13.3 1.56 0.004429 -0.00482

HAT-P-8 b 1.5 3.07632 22 52 10 +35 26 50 10.17 1.58 0.009523 -0.01039

HAT-P-4 b 1.27 3.0565114 15 19 58 +36 13 47 11.2 1.59 0.006741 -0.00734

HAT-P-2 b 0.951 5.6334729 16 20 36 +41 02 53 8.71 1.64 0.003553 -0.00386

Kepler-5 b 1.431 3.54846 19 57 38 +44 02 06 - 1.793 0.00673 -0.00733

TrES-4 1.706 3.5539268 17 53 13 +37 12 42 11.592 1.798 0.009513 -0.01038

HAT-P-7 b 1.421 2.2047298 19 28 59 +47 58 10 10.5 1.84 0.006302 -0.00686

Kepler-7 b 1.478 4.885525 19 14 20 +41 05 23 - 1.843 0.006795 -0.0074

KOI-428 b 1.17 6.87349 19 47 15 +47 31 36 14.76 2.13 0.003188 -0.00347