No matter where you are on Earth, it's likely that at least a few transiting exoplanets will be visible tonight. You can look up upcoming transits so that you know when and where to look for them. Transits can last anywhere from an hour to five or six hours, and some are even longer. When observing an exoplanet transit, it's important to capture the star's baseline brightness before the exoplanet starts passing in front of it, then capture the transit as well as an hour or two after the transit ends, so that the baseline brightness of the star can be measured again.
Embedded below is the Swarthmore Transit Finder, a helpful tool for planning your own observations of any transiting exoplanet.
Current Exoplanet Watch Observation Campaigns: HD189733 b, Qatar-1 b, TrES-4 b
If you have a target that you would like Exoplanet Watch to observe for you, please reach out to us on Slack or email us at exoplanetwatch@jpl.nasa.gov
September 2023 Recommended Observing Targets - Google Calendars for Five Continents
Click on the + more links below to see the calendars for each continent.
North America:
HD 189733 b (September 1, 12, 21), TrES-5 b (September 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23), HAT-P-37 b (September 2, 16), Kepler-45 b (September 3, 8), Qatar-1 b (September 3, 10, 13, 20), Kepler-41 b (September 3, 16), Kepler-428 b (September 4), Kepler-695 b (September 4, 7), WASP-114 b (September 4, 7, 18, 21), Kepler-423 b (September 4, 12), WASP-10 b (September 5), WASP-177 b (September 5, 8, 11), HAT-P-23 b (September 5, 16, 22), WASP-93 b (September 6, 14, 17, 25), WASP-135 b (September 6, 13, 20), Kepler-412 b (September 7, 19), HATS-15 b (September 8, 15, 22), WASP-32 b (September 8, 19), GJ 1214 b (September 9), KELT-16 b (September 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14), WASP-52 b (September 9, 16, 23), WASP-33 b (September 9, 20, 25), Kepler-15 b (September 10, 15, 20), WASP-1 b (September 11, 16, 21), Kepler-1624 b (September 11, 21), HAT-P-32 b (September 13), HAT-P-53 b (September 13, 15, 17, 19, 21), WASP-48 b (September 14), WASP-50 b (September 15, 27), HAT-P-16 b (September 16), Kepler-426 b (September 16), WASP-77 A b (September 16, 20), K2-295 b (September 16, 20, 24), K2-29 b (September 17), WASP-80 b (September 17, 20), WASP-26 b (September 18), WASP-44 b (September 18), XO-7 b (September 20, 23), Kepler-8 b (September 21), WASP-3 b (September 22), WASP-70 A b (September 22), WASP-76 b (September 22), HAT-P-19 b (September 22, 26, 30), WASP-151 b (September 23), WASP-28 b (September 24), WASP-69 b (September 24), HAT-P-51 b (September 25), HAT-P-52 b (September 25), TrES-2 b (September 27), HAT-P-54 b (September 28)
South America:
CoRoT-2 b (September 3, 10, 17), K2-295 b (September 4, 8, 12, 16, 20), HAT-P-23 b (September 4, 10, 21), WASP-52 b (September 4, 11, 18), HATS-32 b (September 4, 18), WASP-177 b (September 5, 8), WASP-21 b (September 5, 18), HAT-P-37 b (September 5, 19), WASP-59 b (September 6), HAT-P-19 b (September 6, 10, 14, 18, 22), WASP-75 b (September 6, 11, 16, 21), WASP-93 b (September 6, 17), WASP-44 b (September 6, 23), WASP-26 b (September 7), WASP-28 b (September 7, 24), Kepler-45 b (September 8, 13), WASP-74 b (September 8, 23), HAT-P-65 b (September 9), HD 189733 b (September 10), WASP-77 A b (September 12), WASP-2 b (September 12, 25), WASP-181 b (September 13, 22), WASP-33 b (September 14), KELT-16 b (September 14, 15, 16, 17, 18), WASP-80 b (September 14, 17), HAT-P-52 b (September 14, 25), WASP-20 b (September 15), HAT-P-28 b (September 17), HATS-62 b (September 17), HATS-3 b (September 19), HAT-P-53 b (September 19, 21, 23, 25), WASP-50 b (September 19, 21, 23, 25), K2-281 b (September 20), HAT-P-51 b (September 21), WASP-33 b (September 25)
Europe:
KELT-23 A b (September 2), WASP-3 b (September 2), GJ 1214 b (September 3), HAT-P-23 b (September 3, 9, 20), Kepler-6 b (September 3, 16), TrES-5 b (September 4), Kepler-17 b (September 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25), HAT-P-5 b (September 4, 18), WASP-74 b (September 4, 19), WASP-80 b (September 5), TrES-2 b (September 5, 10, 15, 20), Qatar-1 b (September 6, 9, 16, 19, 23), HAT-P-52 b (September 6, 17), XO-7 b (September 6, 26), TrES-1 b (September 7, 10, 13), WASP-33 b (September 7, 13, 18, 24), Kepler-423 b (September 7, 15), Kepler-41 b (September 7, 20), HD 189733 b (September 8), Kepler-12 b (September 8), Kepler-1624 b (September 8, 18), HAT-P-16 b (September 8, 19), HAT-P-37 b (September 8, 22), Kepler-412 b (September 9), WASP-93 b (September 9, 20), HAT-P-32 b (September 9, 22, 24), Kepler-75b (September 10), WASP-48 b (September 10, 25), HD 209458 b (September 12, 19), WASP-52 b (September 13, 20), HAT-P-28 b (September 14), Qatar-10 b (September 14, 19, 24), WASP-59 b (September 14, 22), Qatar-7 b (September 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27), Kepler-428 b (September 15, 22), HAT-P-1 b (September 16, 25), HAT-P-51 b (September 17), Kepler-77 b (September 18), Kepler-425 b (September 18), Kepler-45 b (September 18, 23), WASP-77 A b (September 19), Kepler-445 d (September 21), KELT-16 b (September 21, 22, 23, 24), WASP-10 b (September 21, 24), WASP-32 b (September 22), WASP-2 b (September 23), WASP-1 b (September 24), XO-6 b (September 26)
South Africa:
HATS-23 b (September 2, 13, 15), HATS-35 b (September 2, 13, 22), HATS-65 b (September 3), HATS-30 b (September 3, 6, 22), HAT-P-23 b (September 3, 14, 20), HATS-57 b (September 4), WASP-4 b (September 4, 8, 12, 15, 19, 23), NGTS-8 b (September 4, 9, 14, 19), WASP-173 A b (September 4, 11, 18, 22), WASP-5 b (September 4, 12, 17), WASP-140 b (September 4, 13), WASP-74 b (September 4, 19), WASP-6 b (September 4, 21), HATS-3 b (September 5), WASP-69 b (September 5), WASP-80 b (September 5), CoRoT-2 b (September 5, 12, 19), CoRoT-29 b (September 6), TOI-1130 c (September 6), WASP-89 b (September 6), WASP-18 b (September 6, 7, 8, 9, 22, 23, 24, 25), WASP-52 b (September 6, 13, 20), WASP-95 b (September 6, 17, 19), HATS-36 b (September 7), HATS-49 b (September 7), WASP-124 b (September 7), WASP-46 b (September 7, 10, 17, 20), HATS-24 b (September 7, 11), HATS-32 b (September 7, 21, 24), HATS-14 b (September 8), WASP-2 b (September 8), HATS-34 b (September 8, 10, 12), WASP-164 b (September 8, 10, 17, 24), WASP-145 A b (September 8, 10, 15, 17, 24), NGTS-10 b (September 9, 19), WASP-114 b (September 9, 23), HATS-46 b (September 10), WASP-26 b (September 10, 21), HD 2685 b (September 11, 15), WASP-44 b (September 11, 16), TOI-157 b (September 12), WASP-96 b (September 12, 19, 22), HATS-62 b (September 14), WASP-98 b (September 14, 17, 20, 23), HATS-43 b (September 15), WASP-144 b (September 15), WASP-77 A b (September 15, 19), HATS-44 b (September 16), HATS-71 b (September 16), WASP-97 b (September 16, 18, 20), HATS-16 b (September 16, 24), HATS-69 b (September 17), HATS-72 b (September 17), WASP-45 b (September 17, 20), HIP 65 A b (September 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24), HATS-13 b (September 21), HATS-33 b (September 21), HATS-47 b (September 21), WASP-32 b (September 22), WASP-22 b (September 25)
Australia/New Zealand:
HD 2685 b (September 3), WASP-89 b (September 3), WASP-145 A b (September 3, 5, 12, 19), WASP-164 b (September 3, 5, 12, 19, 21), HATS-13 b (September 3, 6, 9), WASP-46 b (September 3, 6, 9, 16, 19), WASP-4 b (September 3, 7, 14, 18, 22), WASP-173 A b (September 3, 10, 14, 17, 21), TOI-157 b (September 4), WASP-123 b (September 4, 7, 10, 13, 16), WASP-75 b (September 4, 9, 14, 19, 24), HATS-69 b (September 4, 13), WASP-95 b (September 4, 13, 15), WASP-144 b (September 4, 13, 20), NGTS-10 b (September 4, 14, 24), WASP-2 b (September 4, 17), WASP-124 b (September 4, 21), HATS-34 b (September 4, 21, 23, 25), GJ 1214 b (September 5), NGTS-1 b (September 5, 13), HATS-71 b (September 5, 20, 24), HATS-33 b (September 6), WASP-50 b (September 6), HATS-24 b (September 6, 10), WASP-5 b (September 6, 14, 19), HATS-35 b (September 6, 17), WASP-32 b (September 6, 17), HAT-P-23 b (September 7), HATS-15 b (September 7, 14, 21), WASP-97 b (September 8, 10), WASP-45 b (September 8, 11), WASP-29 b (September 8, 12, 16, 20), WASP-52 b (September 8, 15, 22), HATS-23 b (September 9), WASP-44 b (September 9), HATS-3 b (September 9, 16), WASP-96 b (September 9, 16), HATS-72 b (September 10), WASP-47 b (September 10), WASP-76 b (September 10), TOI-905 b (September 11), HATS-62 b (September 11), WASP-28 b (September 11), HATS-16 b (September 11, 19), WASP-140 b (September 11, 20), WASP-18 b (September 12, 13, 14, 15), HATS-32 b (September 13), WASP-69 b (September 13, 17), HATS-14 b (September 14), WASP-114 b (September 14), WASP-77 A b (September 14, 18), HATS-46 b (September 15), WASP-177 b (September 15, 18, 21), HATS-30 b (September 16), HATS-48 A b (September 16), WASP-26 b (September 16), WASP-6 b (September 18), WASP-70 A b (September 19), HATS-28 b (September 21), HATS-63 b (September 21), HATS-29 b (September 22), HATS-49 b (September 24)
To find out when to look for these exoplanets, you can use the Swarthmore Transit Finder. Depending on your location within your continent, there may be other tartets that are better (in which the complete transit occurs above your horizon).
How to use the Swarthmore Transit Finder:
- You can prioritize the Exoplanet Watch targets by selecting the “Exoplanet Watch targets” radio button at the top of the form.
- Select an observatory near your location or choose “manual coordinate entry” at the end of the list.
- Under “Date window” select the “base date” that you would like to begin scheduling and fill in the appropriate number of days before and/or after this base date. In addition, you can optionally include constraints on the target’s elevation during the transit if your horizon has limited visibility.
- Once you hit the “Submit” button, the service might take a few seconds to minutes to load, depending on the number of days you have requested.
- On the page that does open, you can sort the planets according to their “Exoplanet Watch rank” where a low number (e.g., 1) is higher priority than a larger number (e.g., 1000). You can also filter your targets based upon the host star’s V-magnitude (“V_max”) and the expected transit depth (“Depth_min” in units of parts per thousand ppt). You can sort the list by the date, by the name of the exoplanet, or by the Exoplanet Watch rank, as well as by the magnitude of the star or the amount of starlight the exoplanet blocks.
Please note that it can take a few moments to query the Swarthmore Transit Finder service, particularly if you are looking up targets over multiple days. Please be patient or restrict your search to fewer days or fewer targets.
