10th April 2010:
A live Astro-cast of the EXTRASOLAR PLANET HAT-P-3 b
(UMa)transit
Unique in side view to
behind the observatory scenes
On 10th April 2010, we will webcast (weather permitting)
the transit of an extra solar planet named "HAT-P-3b (UMa)".
The event will be observed using a
highly sophisticated robotic telescope and a sensitive cooled CCD camera.
The event will be broadcast on the
web from the Bareket observatory's remote EDU Internet telescope, located in
Israel. www.bareket-astro.com
The observatory will transfer live images of the transit as they're
being captured by the Bareket Internet EDU scope,
while plotting its light curve through the site as the transit progress.(see
further details below)
This truly amazing process will give students and the general
pubic a unique in side view to behind the observatory scenes, while
presenting to the viewers how science is being done – all in real time.
This project is a part of the Bareket observatory Live-@stro outreach
programs.
The event will take about 3 hours in duration, scheduled to take place
at
10th April 2010 21:30UTC (24:30 local Israel
summer time)
The
transit centre should occur at 23:05UTC (02:05 local Israel summer time)
– a dedicated clock available on the webcast
page
The web cast page can be seen at:
http://www.bareket-astro.com/live/transit_hat-p-3b/cast.html
European
server:
http://live-internet-telescope.com/live/transit_hat-p-3b/cast.html
Image - The planet HAT-P-3b, and its star positions.
Credit : DSS survey
XO Project
Transit Photometry
The American Association of Variable Star
Observers (AAVSO)
is collaborating with Bareket Observatory on variable-object studies, of which
transiting exoplanets are a key element. AAVSO have calibrated nearby
stars in each of the known transiting exoplanet systems to act as local
standards against which you can compare the host star for variability.
AAVSO are also working with the XO project team to study other variable stars
that they have discovered during their exoplanet survey. Exoplanet transits
are hard to detect, since the dip is only one percent or so in brightness, but
with care, any amateur observer with a CCD camera can watch the transit of a
planet around another star.
Image – light curve of GJ 436 XSP, captured the transit in real
time!
Searching for extra solar planets by detecting their
transit is well within the possibilities of many today's Earth based
observatories.
A transit means – that the extra solar planet acts very
similar like Venus, in our own solar system, when it passes in front of our Sun
(in a direct geometrical line between the sun and the Earth), featuring a
"mini eclipse".
Image - Venus transit; moving in between the Sun and Earth.
Credit : Bareket observatory
Watch the Venus transit – 1st and 2nd
contact time lapse:
http://bareket-astro.com/photofiles/img/transit.html
While Venus can be easily observed against the solar
disc, the extended HAT-P-3b planet
only presented as a dim singular dot in the sky.
While it's total brightness only slightly vary during the
extra solar planet transit, for a relatively short period of time.
The drop in the brightness is proportional to the
planet’s surface.
Usually within a 1% for a gaseous giant (Such as Jupiter)
and as low as 0.01% for an Earth–sized planet.
You're welcome to join us in this extra-solar quest!
http://www.bareket-astro.com/live/transit_hat-p-3b/cast.html
European
server:
http://live-internet-telescope.com/live/transit_hat-p-3b/cast.html
Further
details:
Bareket observatory EDU Internet telescope
http://bareket-astro.com/en/telescope_internet.htm
Latest IYA2009 projects -
·
DSO (deep space objects) Web cast –
Astronomical year 2009 project. For those who are blind to!
·
XO 3b – Live
extra solar transit
·
Astronomical year 2009 official project
– 100 hours of robotic astronomy.
· RR lyrae stars pulsating stars in
M3- over two nights
·
Outreach
activities at the
Bareket observatory, Israel
