Unistellar Network Unites to Attempt Unprecedented Exoplanet Transit

UPDATE: We collected 43 observations of Kepler-167e from 31 different observers around the world during the 32 hour event! The data analysis is still in progress but early results indicate that our cooperative method worked and the observation was at least partially successful. More results to come!

From November 18-19, Unistellar Citizen Scientists around the world will have the chance to participate in an unprecedented exoplanet transit observation! Exoplanet transits occur when planets beyond our solar system pass in front of their host star, as seen on Earth.

The confirmed exoplanet is known as Kepler-167e and bears a resemblance to Jupiter in our own solar system.

If successful, this will be the longest duration transit ever detected from the ground as well as the first detection of Kepler-167e from the ground! It was previously only detected by the Kepler and Spitzer Space Telescopes.

This special transit is only observable in its entirety by the Unistellar Network, because of the 5000+ eVscopes uniquely positioned around the world.

“Detecting a transit of Kepler-167e is a supreme astronomical challenge and one that has so far required state-of-the-art space telescopes. Catching the next transit from the ground will not only teach us more about this remarkable exoplanet system but also demonstrate the potential for groundbreaking discoveries when the entire Unistellar Network works together,” said Dr. Paul Dalba, an astronomer at University of California Santa Cruz and the last to detect this planet’s transit, using the Spitzer Space Telescope in 2018.

The entire observation will take 32 hours, and the transit itself will last 16 of those hours.

For that reason, no individual observer on Earth will be able to detect this entire transit on their own — international teamwork is necessary to succeed! We need members of the Network across North America, Hawaii, Japan, East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Europe, northern Africa, and northern South America to join us in observing this transit!

The remaining 16 hours will be used to determine a reference baseline to discern the drop in flux when Kepler 167e’s host star blocks out some of its light during the transit.

Animation showing where and when the Kepler-167e Exoplanet Transit will be visible around the world. We ask you to observe during the times your location is shaded red. More details on when and where to observe can be found further down the page.

Quick Facts about Kepler-167e

Gas giant planet, very close in size to Jupiter
Located 1.9 AU (176,600,00 miles) from its host star, which is equivalent to a point between Mars and the asteroid belt in our own solar system
It takes 2.9 years (1,071 days) for it to complete one orbit around its star
Its host, known as Kepler-167 (or Kepler-167A) is a K-type dwarf star, which is smaller (by about 25%) and cooler (by 1000 °C) than our own Sun, but is about the same age (2.5 to 10 billion years old)
Three Super-Earths (a mix of rocky and gas-shrouded planets, bigger than Earth, but smaller than Neptune) orbit closer to the star
The planets orbit one star of a binary pair, so they have two suns in their skies (the other star, Kepler-167B, is about 100 times fainter than the star they orbit)
If you were to travel there from Earth by jet (at 600 mph) it would take 1 billion years!

What Will We Learn?

Detecting exoplanets like Kepler-167e allows us to understand more about solar system evolution and how gas giant planets like Jupiter and Kepler-167e affect that. In our own solar system and in many exoplanetary systems, gas giants orbiting outside of smaller rocky (including Earth-like) planets is something that is relatively common, but why they end up that way is still unclear.

In addition, worlds like Kepler-167e, known as “Cold Jupiter” analogs, could be prime targets for observations by future telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) because they are so similar to our own Jupiter. Also, your data could potentially help us discover new planets in Kepler-167e’s solar system if a shift in the transit time is measured!

When to Observe, by Region

We are asking you to observe during the times that your location is shaded red in the animation above. This always begins at sunset and ends about 3 hours later (shorter for southern latitudes and longer for northern latitudes). Here are the dates and times by region:

Local evening of November 18

Start as soon as possible after sunset and observe until the target star sets. This is for North America and Hawaii (who can also observe again the next evening).

Local evening of November 19

Start as soon as possible after sunset and observe until the target star sets. This is for Japan, East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Europe, northern Africa, northern South America, North America (again), and Hawaii (again).

(Bonus Time) Local evening of November 20

If available, observers can provide some “bonus” data by starting as soon as possible after sunset and observing for 2 hours. This is for Japan only, and would help establish the post-transit baseline reference.

eVscope Settings

Observing Note: The app’s live view may appear bright white or green after you launch the recording: THIS IS OK! It is purely the way the image is displayed in the app and has no negative effect on your data. So keep recording if you see this.

Click on the following deeplink from your mobile device to open the Unistellar app with all of the eVscope’s settings automatically filled: unistellar://science/transit?ra=292.65854&dec=38.34556&c=3970&et=3970&g=40&d=1800&t=1637312940000

If you prefer to set the values manually, open the “Exoplanet Transit” menu from the Science tab and enter:

RA = 19h 30m 38s
Dec = +38° 20′ 44″
Exposure time = 3970 ms
Cadence = 3970 ms
Gain = 40 db
Duration = 30min 00s

The image below shows the eVscope field of view around Kepler-167 (pink circle). You can use the stars highlighted in green to help identify it. Note that your view may be rotated compared to this example.