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Photometric Techniques Using Small College Research Instruments for Study of the Extrasolar Planetary Transits of HD 209458

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

David W. Hudgins  and
Miroslav D. Filipović
David W. Hudgins
Affiliation:
University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 1797, Australia Rockhurst University, Department of Physics, 1100 Rockhurst Rd, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; [email protected]
Miroslav D. Filipović
Affiliation:
University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 1797, Australia; [email protected] Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 2121, Australia
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Abstract

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We present the results of a program to develop techniques that enable high-resolution photometric measurements using modest research instruments available to small colleges, and then demonstrate those techniques in a pilot photometric project.

Using a 25 cm Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope and SBIG ST7E CCD camera, we develop techniques that enabled milli-magnitude photometric resolution. The pilot project studied five transits of the recently discovered gas giant planet orbiting HD 209458. We measured a flux drop of 1.46 ± 0.17% during the transit which corresponds to a planetary diameter of 1.39 ± 0.14 RJup, a transit period of 2h 48min ± 21min, and planet orbital inclination of 87.6 ± 1.3°. We determined the orbital period as 3.5234 ± 0.0026 days. These results agree well with other studies which used professional grade research instruments. We suggest a number of other challenging photometric research areas suitable for graduate and undergraduate investigation using equipment common to many small colleges.

Keywords

teaching astronomytechniques: photometricbinaries: eclipsingplanetary systemsstars: individual (HD 209458)
Type
Research Article
Information
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , 2002 , pp. 443 - 447
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Australia 2002

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