The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Mission

s, JAAVSO Volume 42, 2014 234 Abstracts of Papers and Posters Presented at the 102nd Annual Meeting of the AAVSO, Held in Woburn, Massachusetts, October 11–12, 2013s of Papers and Posters Presented at the 102nd Annual Meeting of the AAVSO, Held in Woburn, Massachusetts, October 11–12, 2013 Invited Guest Speaker Dr. George R. Ricker Massacuhsetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Mission Abstract The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will discover thousands of exoplanets in orbit around the brightest stars in the sky. In a two-year survey of the solar neighborhood, TESS will monitor more than 500,000 stars for temporary drops in brightness caused by planetary transits. This first-ever spaceborne all-sky transit survey will identify planets ranging from Earth-sized to gas giants, around a wide range of stellar types and orbital distances. TESS stars will typically be 30 to 100 times brighter than those surveyed by the Kepler satellite; thus,TESS planets will be far easier to characterize with follow-up observations. For the first time it will be possible to study the masses, sizes, densities, orbits, and atmospheres of a large cohort of small planets, including a sample of rocky worlds in the habitable zones of their host stars. All of the half-million plus TESS targets will be observed at a rapid cadence (1 minute or less). Hence, the brighter TESS stars will potentially yield valuable asteroseismic information. TESS will provide prime exoplanet targets for characterization with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as well as other large ground-based and space-based telescopes of the future. TESS will serve as the “People’s Telescope,” with data releases every 4 months, inviting immediate community-wide efforts to study the new planets. The TESS legacy will be a catalog of the nearest and brightest main-sequence stars hosting transiting exoplanets, which will endure as the most favorable targets for detailed future investigations. TESS has been selected by NASA for launch in 2017 as an Astrophysics Explorer mission.The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will discover thousands of exoplanets in orbit around the brightest stars in the sky. In a two-year survey of the solar neighborhood, TESS will monitor more than 500,000 stars for temporary drops in brightness caused by planetary transits. This first-ever spaceborne all-sky transit survey will identify planets ranging from Earth-sized to gas giants, around a wide range of stellar types and orbital distances. TESS stars will typically be 30 to 100 times brighter than those surveyed by the Kepler satellite; thus,TESS planets will be far easier to characterize with follow-up observations. For the first time it will be possible to study the masses, sizes, densities, orbits, and atmospheres of a large cohort of small planets, including a sample of rocky worlds in the habitable zones of their host stars. All of the half-million plus TESS targets will be observed at a rapid cadence (1 minute or less). Hence, the brighter TESS stars will potentially yield valuable asteroseismic information. TESS will provide prime exoplanet targets for characterization with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as well as other large ground-based and space-based telescopes of the future. TESS will serve as the “People’s Telescope,” with data releases every 4 months, inviting immediate community-wide efforts to study the new planets. The TESS legacy will be a catalog of the nearest and brightest main-sequence stars hosting transiting exoplanets, which will endure as the most favorable targets for detailed future investigations. TESS has been selected by NASA for launch in 2017 as an Astrophysics Explorer mission. Abstracts, JAAVSO Volume 42, 2014 235s, JAAVSO Volume 42, 2014 235 Paper Session: The Role of Amateur Astronomers in the Age of Large-Scale Surveys Invited Talk: Photometry of Bright Variable Stars with the BRITE Constellation Nano-Satellites: Opportunities for Amateur Astronomers Edward F. Guinan Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085; edward.guinan@villanova.edu Abstract The BRIght Target Explorer (BRITE) is a joint Austrian-CanadianPolish Astronomy mission to carry out high precision photometry of bright (mv < 4 mag.) variable stars. BRITE consists of a “Constellation” of 20 × 20 × 20-cm nano-satellite cubes equipped with wide field (20 × 24 deg.) CCD cameras, control systems, solar panels, onboard computers, and so on. The first two (of up to six) satellites were successfully launched during February 2013. After post-launch commissioning, science operations commenced during October 2013. The primary goals are to carry out continuous multi-color (currently blue and red filters) high-precision millimag (mmag) photometry in particular locations in the sky. Typically these pointings will last for two to four months and secure simultaneous blue/red photometry of bright variable stars within the field. The first science pointing is centered on the Orion region. Since most bright stars are intrinsically luminous, hot O/B stars, giants, and supergiants will be the most common targets. However, some bright eclipsing binaries (such as Algol, b Lyr, e Aur) and a few chromospherically-active RS CVn stars (such as Capella) may be eventually be monitored. The BRITEConstellation program of high precision, two-color photometry of bright stars offers a great opportunity to study a wide range of stellar astrophysical problems. Bright stars offer convenient laboratories to study many current and important problems in stellar astrophysics. These include probing stellar interiors and pulsation in pulsating stars, tests of stellar evolution, and structure for Cepheids and other luminous stars. To scientifically enhance the BRITE science returns, the BRITE investigators are very interested in securing contemporaneous ground-based spectroscopy and standardized photometry of target stars. The BRITE Ground Based Observations Team is coordinating ground-based observing efforts for BRITE targets. The team helps coordinate collaborations with amateur and professional astronomers. The ground-based coordinators are Thomas Eversberg (thomas. eversberg@dlr.de) and, for spectroscopy, Contanze Zwintz (konstanze@ster. kuleuven.be). Detailed information about the BRITE Mission is provided at: www.brite-contellation.at.The BRIght Target Explorer (BRITE) is a joint Austrian-CanadianPolish Astronomy mission to carry out high precision photometry of bright (mv < 4 mag.) variable stars. BRITE consists of a “Constellation” of 20 × 20 × 20-cm nano-satellite cubes equipped with wide field (20 × 24 deg.) CCD cameras, control systems, solar panels, onboard computers, and so on. The first two (of up to six) satellites were successfully launched during February 2013. After post-launch commissioning, science operations commenced during October 2013. The primary goals are to carry out continuous multi-color (currently blue and red filters) high-precision millimag (mmag) photometry in particular locations in the sky. Typically these pointings will last for two to four months and secure simultaneous blue/red photometry of bright variable stars within the field. The first science pointing is centered on the Orion region. Since most bright stars are intrinsically luminous, hot O/B stars, giants, and supergiants will be the most common targets. However, some bright eclipsing binaries (such as Algol, b Lyr, e Aur) and a few chromospherically-active RS CVn stars (such as Capella) may be eventually be monitored. The BRITEConstellation program of high precision, two-color photometry of bright stars offers a great opportunity to study a wide range of stellar astrophysical problems. Bright stars offer convenient laboratories to study many current and important problems in stellar astrophysics. These include probing stellar interiors and pulsation in pulsating stars, tests of stellar evolution, and structure for Cepheids and other luminous stars. To scientifically enhance the BRITE science returns, the BRITE investigators are very interested in securing contemporaneous ground-based spectroscopy and standardized photometry of target stars. The BRITE Ground Based Observations Team is coordinating ground-based observing efforts for BRITE targets. The team helps coordinate collaborations with amateur and professional astronomers. The ground-based coordinators are Thomas Eversberg (thomas. eversberg@dlr.de) and, for spectroscopy, Contanze Zwintz (konstanze@ster. kuleuven.be). Detailed information about the BRITE Mission is provided at: www.brite-contellation.at. Abstracts, JAAVSO Volume 42, 2014 236s, JAAVSO Volume 42, 2014 236 Using the Transient Surveys Arne A. Henden AAVSO Headquarters, 49 Bay State Road, Cambridge, MA 02138; arne@ aavso.org Abstract We are starting the era of all-sky surveys. While some, like APASS, have specific goals in mind (sky calibration, exoplanets, asteroids, and so on), others have begun releasing real-time alerts of interesting objects. The easily available surveys with alerts will be discussed, along with the kind of objects they are detecting and some hints about how to make use of the transient information.We are starting the era of all-sky surveys. While some, like APASS, have specific goals in mind (sky calibration, exoplanets, asteroids, and so on), others have begun releasing real-time alerts of interesting objects. The easily available surveys with alerts will be discussed, along with the kind of objects they are detecting and some hints about how to make use of the transient information. Kepler and the RR Lyrae Stars Katrien Kolenberg Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; kkolenb@cfa.harvard.edu Abstract The spectacular data delivered by NASA’s Kepler mission have not only boosted the discovery of planets orbiting other stars, but