Choosing targets with TESS
With the launch of TESS, we will soon have many more exoplanet candidates. But how do we determine which are the most valuable for follow-up observations?
Optics to outrace them all
Astronomers are using a once-secret technology to scrutinize Kepler stars. Are rocky planets headed for a takedown?
A Stellar Review: Re-Analyzing the Kepler Stellar Radii with Gaia
Using new Gaia data, the authors update the stellar radii for the majority of Kepler’s stars. While they find that most stars have similar radii to previous reported values, there are some large discrepancies.
Earth Twins and Imposters– Determining the Odds of Detection
Using MC simulations, these authors seek to find how many Earth-like exoplanets will be detectable with future direct imaging missions.
Statistically Confirming an Earth-Like Planet? Not So Fast!
Statistical confirmation of long-period, low SNR candidates should be taken with a grain of salt. The reliability is too low to confirm individual systems without followup observations and the 99% confidence validation of Kepler-452b is likely closer to 90%.
Spotting a planet
If only we could image a planet as it transits in front of its host star, we could obtain data that would complement other observation techniques. Here we learn about a technique that might actually let us do so.