Henrietta Swan Leavitt - Colorado

Harvard College Observatory

Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868-1921) could measure the brightness of a star to a precision of about 1%.

time

flux

Now, we make precise brightness measurements to study exoplanets transiting their stars.

The NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is searching millions of stars for transiting planets.

TESS (10 cm)

Sommers-Bausch Observatory (Artemis + Apollo, 50 cm)

We can help TESS with our on-campus telescopes!TESS

(21” pixels)Ground-based Telescopes

(~1” seeing)

Are you interested in… • observing TESS candidate planets

with ground-based telescopes • working for independent study credit

…?

Are you willing to learn… • how to observe transiting planets with

the SBO telescopes • how to work collaboratively in a world-

wide community of observers

…?

Are you… • creative • curious • kind

…?

I am looking for roughly 4-6 students to join a team to observe exoplanets from SBO.

To apply, email zach.bertathompson:

• a brief resume/CV • your general evening availability

during spring 2020 • a cool astronomy plot you made and a

brief description of something interesting you see in it