Phase curve showing transit and eclipse                                                               Credit ESA

Updated 2023 December 17

Introduction

The aims of EXPLORE are to bring together all the various current snd potential projects with which the exoplanet Division is involved. We began with the Division’s participation in ExoClock and are developing projects for searching for additional objects, e.g., exoplanets, their moons, comets and other interstellar wanderers and observing secondary eclipses and phase curves (see above figure) of  confirmed exoplanets . It offers a growth path for experienced observers to verify that such observations are within the capabilities of amateur observers whilst newcomers can cut their teeth supporting ExoClock by observing transits before moving on to the more challenging photometry. In addition there are other opportunities for assisting professional astronomers by with observations and analysing observations and data from e.g. Kepler and TESS.

This page pulls together all existing and potential projects which are called EXoPLanet Objects of InTereSt (EXPLOITS) and are listed below with links to the relevant documentation.

For those new to the realm of exoplanets An introduction to exoplanets may be of some help. Further reading can be found on the Infinite Worlds page which lists all the emagazines published to date.

Meetings
Exoplanet workshop held on 2022 November 12
EXPLORE needs Explorers – presentation given at 2022 November 12 mtg including additional slides

Projects

EXPLOIT 100 – Transit observations
To get started on observing transits the following guides should prove useful;
– Imaging stars with a known exoplanet
– Exoplanet imaging and discovery

EXPLOIT 101
The ExoClock project in support of the Ariel Space Mission.
The ExoWorlds Spies website is the place to go for learning all about the ExoClock project
Additional guides;
– Exoplanet Transit Imaging and Analysis Process 
– A Practical guide to Exoplanet Observing

EXPLOIT 102 – PLATO Space Mission Support
– Confirmation of potential transits
– Long term monitoring of stellar variability

EXPLOIT 103 – MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope
– obtaining and analysing observations (using AstroImageJ) and uploading data to the Exoplanet Transit Database
The above link is the most recent and relevant but other AstroImage J guides are;
– AstroImageJ and BAA Photometry Database Tutorial
– A Guide to AstroImageJ Differential Photometry
– Plate solving/Track and Stack in AIJ 
– The AstroImageJ Cookbook

EXPLOIT 200 – Transit Timing/Duration/Depth Variations

EXPLOIT 201 – Orbital Decay
Targets can be selected by examining plots in the ExoClock database or Exoplanet Transit Database.

EXPLOIT 2XX – other causes for variations are;
– additional planets
– stellar variability
– presence of exomoons
Projects will be listed here as they are developed

EXPLOIT 300 – Phase curves

EXPLOIT 301 – Detecting secondary transits
Roger Dymock is monitoring exoplanet TOI-1259 A using the SLOOH Canary 1 robotic telescope and more details will follow in due course. Data to noisy to obtain meaningful result – no further action.

EXPLOIT 302 Detecting exoplanets from phase curve data
Possible project searching Kepler data

EXPLOIT 400 Zooniverse Projects

EXPLOIT 401 – Planet Hunters TESS
– Searching for exoplanets in TESS data;
  – Tutorial
  – Planet Hunters Tess website

EXPLOIT 500 Microlensing search for exoplanets

EXPLOIT – 501 A Gravitational Microlensing Pro-Am project
Currently suspended but can be restarted if enough interest from members

EXPLOIT 600 – searching for exoplanets in variable star data

EXPLOIT 601 –  SuperWASP Variable Stars
– Possible project to discover exoplanets in variable star data

EXPLOIT 602 – Variable Star databases
– Possible project to search for exoplanets in BAA and other variable star databases

EXPLOIT 700 – Downloading and analysing space mission data
Exploit 701 – TESS data analysis
– using Peranso to download and analyse TESS data

Other guides and tutorials can be found here

Roger Dymock

ARPS Assistant Director Exoplanets