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The Visibility of Earth TransitsThe recent detection of planetary transits of the solar-like star HD 209458 at a distance of 47 parsecs suggest that transits can reveal the presence of Jupiter-size planetary companions in the solar neighborhood. Recent space-based transit searches have achieved photometric precision within an order of magnitude of that required to detect the much smaller transit signal of an earth-size planet around a solar-size star. Laboratory experiments in the presence of realistic noise sources have shown that CCDs can achieve photometric precision adequate to detect the 9.6 E-5 dimming, of the Sun due to a transit of the Earth. Space-based solar irradiance monitoring has shown that the intrinsic variability of the Sun would not preclude such a detection. Transits of the Sun by the Earth would be detectable by observers that reside within a narrow band of sky positions near the ecliptic plane, if the observers possess current Earth epoch levels of technology and astronomical expertise. A catalog of candidate target stars, their properties, and simulations of the photometric Earth transit signal detectability at each target is presented.
Document ID
20010082931
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Castellano, Tim
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
DeVincenzi, Donald L.
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2000
Subject Category
Astronomy
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Astronomical Union Meeting
Location: Manchester
Country: United Kingdom
Start Date: August 4, 2000
End Date: August 21, 2000
Sponsors: International Astronomical Union
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 274-52-00-28
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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