The ExoClock Project
A project to monitor the ephemerides of transiting exoplanets by the ARIEL Ephemerides Working Group.
CMHASD Coordinators: Martin Crow, Simon Dawes and Keith Rickard.
Due to chance alignments it is possible that planets orbiting other stars will move in front of their star with respect to our point of view, this is called an exo-planet transit, and if you know when to look these can be observed using amateur equipment by measuring the change in brightness of the star. These observations are scientifically important and members of the society collaborate with exoclock to produce improved timings of these events.
Members of the Society observe exo-planet transits, either with their own equipment or with the Peter Hindle Telescope (16″ LX200) in the Dick Chambers Observatory.
Training Material
Selecting an object
In this video we explore exoclock.space and how we can use it to select the most appropriate object to observe.
Introduction to NINA
In this video we introduce NINA the software we will use to set-up our observation.
Using NINA & AIJ
In this video you will see how we use NINA to observe exo-planet transits and how we use Astro Image J to check we have the right exposure.
Results
Below are the latest results from our members.
Exoplanets TrES-3b & WASP-60b by Simon Dawes
Taken from a few days ago; this is member Simon Dawes 48th accepted transit for the ExoClock project of exoplanet TrES-3b. TrES-3b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a G-type star GSC 03089-00929. It has an orbital period of just 31 hours, is nearly twice the mass of Jupiter and is 0.02282 AU from its star.
The planet TrES-3b is named Umbäässa. The name was selected in the NameExoWorlds campaign by Liechtenstein during the 100th anniversary of the IAU. In the local dialect of southern Liechtenstein, Umbäässa is a small and barely visible ant.
Its discovery was announced in 2007. It is the 3rd transiting planet found by the Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey. It was discovered in the constellation Hercules about 10 degrees west of the star Vega. If you look at the curve you can see that it doesn’t have a flat bottom which means from our viewpoint the planet occults the star right on its edge – a grazing occultation.
Also measured by Simon is the transit of exoplanet WASP-60b.
WASP-60b orbits at a distance of 8.25 million km from its G1-type star, taking 4.3 days to go round its orbit in the constellation of Pegasus. The system is a distance of 400 parsecs away from us.
Exoplanets XO-1b and Qatar-10b
Two more sets of observations for the ExoClock project by Simon Dawes. Exoplanets XO-1b & Qatar-10b.
XO-1b is an exoplanet approximately 536 light-years away in the constellation of Corona Borealis. The planet was discovered orbiting the yellow dwarf star now designated XO-1 in 2006. The planet XO-1b is named Negoiu. The name was selected in the NameExoWorlds campaign during the 100th anniversary of the IAU. Negoiu is the second highest peak in Romania. It is a little bit larger than Jupiter. It is a hot Jupiter.
The XO Project team employed the relatively inexpensive XO Telescope, made from commercial equipment, to search for exoplanets. This telescope is on the Hawaiian Island of Maui.
Qatar-10 b is a gas giant exoplanet orbiting an F-type star. Its mass is 3/4 that of Jupiter and takes 1.6 days to complete one orbit. It is 0.0286 AU from its parent star. Discovered in 2019.
Martin Crow – Exo Planets WASP-58b, TOI-2076b & HAT-P-57b
The latest Exo planet observations by Martin Crow for the ExoClock project.
TOI-2076 b is an extrasolar planet (exoplanet) that orbits a K-type star TOI -2076 in the constellation of Bootes. An exoplanet is a planet that orbits a star other than the Sun. The star is located 136.86 light years away from Earth. TOI-2076 b is a Neptune-like exoplanet, its mass is 6.89 Earths, it takes 10.4 days to complete one orbit of its star and was discovered in 2021.
WASP-58b was discovered in 2011 and has an orbital period of 5 days.
HAT-P-57 b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits an F-type star. Its mass is 1.41 Jupiters and it takes 2.46 days to complete one orbit of its star in the constellation of Aquila. Its discovery was announced in 2015.
Simon Dawes – Exo Planet TOI-1296b
One more for the ExoClock project by Simon Dawes. Exoplanet TOI-1296b.
TOI-1296b was discovered in 2021 and observed with TESS and SOPHIE. It is a hot Saturn-mass exoplanet with an orbital period of 3.944 days.
Simon said ‘Got this Friday night; 7 milli mag dip on a mag 11.5 star – quite a noisy measurement due to twilight observation.’
Exoplanet KELT-23Ab by Simon Dawes
Another set of observations by Simon for the ExoClock project.
KELT-23Ab was discovered using the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT).
WASP-92b by Simon Dawes
The latest set of observations by Simon for the ExoClock project of the exoplanet WASP-92b which orbits its parent star WASP-92, an F7 star, every 2.17...
WASP-113b by Simon Dawes
The latest exoplanet transit from Simon Dawes for the ExoClock project. WASP 113 is a 11.7 magnitude star and Exoplanet WASP- 113b orbits it every 4.5days with a drop of 10/1000ths of a magnitude. WASP 113 is a G type star of 1.3 Solar Masses and the...
Exoplanet KPS-1b observations by Simon Dawes
Another for the ExoClock project…… KPS-1b orbits a star similar to the Sun with a period of 40 hours. The mass and size of the exoplanet KPS-1b are close to the characteristics of Jupiter, but it is located very close to its parent star so the temperature...
Exoplanets WASP-148b & HAT-P-44b observations
Simon Dawes has been busy again with his exoplanet observations for the ExoClock project. Below are his observations. Exoplanet HAT-P-44b was discovered in 2013 by the HATNet transit survey. Its mass is 0.39 mass of Jupiter and has an orbital period of 4.3 days. Of...
Exoplanet TOI-1298b observations by Martin Crow
These are the latest exoplanet observations by Martin Crow. TOI-1298 b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a G-type star TOI -1298 in the constellation of Ursa Minor. Its mass is 0.356 Jupiters. It takes 4.5 days to complete one orbit of its star and is...
Latest exoplanet observations by Simon Dawes
Three more exoplanets have been observed by Simon for the ExoClock project – KELT 23ab, HAT P 13b and KPS...
Exoplanet Qatar 8b
Another exoplanet transit observed by Simon Dawes of Qatar 8b for the ExoClock project. Qatar-8b is just over a third of Jupiter’s mass (0.37) and is considered a “hot Saturn.” It takes less than four days to orbit its star, which is about 900...
Exoplanet WASP-12B by Simon Dawes
Here is the latest exoplanet transit observed by member & trustee Simon Dawes for the ExoClock project. It is of WASP-12b a doomed EGG shaped planet. WASP-12b is a hot Jupiter that orbits so close to its parent star, it is being torn apart and it takes this...
EXO-Planet Paper features observations from two members
Members Simon Dawes and Martin Crow have been named as contributors on a scientific paper published this week, Martin and Simon along with other amateur and professional astronomers have been observing exo-planet transits – each observation takes between 4 and 5...
Exo-Planet HAT-P-30b
HAT-P-30b is a transiting hot Jupiter around a 1.25 solar mass star in the constellation of Hydra near the boarder of cancer. Martin Crow and Simon Dawes observed this exo-planet transiting its parent start part of the exoclock project, to refine transit predictions...
EXO-Planet TrES-3b
Martin Crow observed this Exo...
Observation od EXO-Planet XO-2Nb
XO-2Nb is an exo-planet in Lynx it has an orbital period of 2.6159 days. Observed by Martin Crow as part of the Exoclock project. More info: ExoClock project https://www.exoclock.space/project And the paper that it relates to:...
Observation of EXO-Planet HAT-P-1b
HAT-P-1b is an exo-planet in Lacerta it has an orbital period of 4.4652968 days Observation bt Martin Crow as part of Exoclock project. More info: ExoClock project https://www.exoclock.space/project And the paper that it relates to:...
Observation of EXO-Planet HAT – P – 16b
HAT-P-16b is an exo planet in Andromeda with a period of 2.77596 days. Observed by Martin Crow as part of the ExoClock project More info: ExoClock project https://www.exoclock.space/project And the paper that it relates to:...
Observation of Exo-Planet KELT 16b
KELT-16b is an exo-planet in Cygnus, member Martin Crow measured the brightness of the parent star (KELT48) in order to capture the small drop in brightness when the planet transits the face of the star, this is a very subtle observation that requires a lot of...
Observation of Exo-Planet WASP-48b
Exo-Planet WASP 48b is a planet discovered around star WASB 48 in the constellation of Cygnus. Member, Martin Crow measured the brightness of WASP 48, using the same techniques used for variable star observations – although the changed in brightness are very...
Observation of Exo-Planet HD 189733b
HD 189733 b is an extrasolar planet, in the constellation of Vulpecula. According to Wikipedia it is 64.5 light years away. Member, Martin Crow, used the same techniques used for observing variable stars to detect the drop in light from the parent star as the planet...
Detecting an extrasolar planet – X0-2b
X0-2b XO-2b is an example of a transiting hot Jupiter orbiting an early K dwarf star (TYC 3413-5-1) Vmag 11.2. Orbiting close in it has a period of approx. 2.615 days and takes approx. 2 hours to complete the transit. So far only partial light curves have been...