Related papers: Pluto's Light Curve in 1933-1934

The dwarf planet Eris (2003 UB313, formerly known also as ``Xena'') is the largest KBO up to now discovered. Despite being larger than Pluto and bearing many similarities with it, it has not been possible insofar to detect any significant…

We present photometry of the exoplanet host star TrES-3 spanning six occultations (secondary eclipses) of its giant planet. No flux decrements were detected, leading to 99%-confidence upper limits on the planet-to-star flux ratio of…

The depth of a secondary eclipse contains information of both the thermally emitted light component of a hot Jupiter and the reflected light component. If the dayside atmosphere of the planet is assumed to be isothermal, it is possible to…

We present new results derived from high-resolution optical spectra of the tau Boo system, secured in March-May 2000. The results do not show the same feature reported by Cameron et al (1999) as a candidate reflected-light signature from…

The NASA New Horizons spacecraft flies past Pluto on July 14, 2015, carrying two instruments that detect charged particles. Pluto has a tenuous, extended atmosphere that is escaping the weak gravity of the planet. The interaction of the…

Following the detection of CO and HCN in Pluto's atmosphere, we report on new ALMA observations of Pluto with two main goals: (i) obtaining spatially-resolved measurements (~0.06'' on the ~0.15'' disk subtended by Pluto and its atmosphere)…

We present a photometric follow-up of transiting exoplanets HAT-P-3b and TrES-3b, observed by using several optical and near-infrared filters, with four small-class telescopes (D = 36--152cm) in the Northern Hemisphere. Two of the…

We determine the period, p = 11.52 \pm 0.14 h, and a light curve peak-to-peak amplitude, a = 0.029 \pm 0.003 magnitudes, of the Neptunian irregular satellite Nereid. If the light curve variation is due to albedo variations across the…

Using improved doppler tomographic signal-analysis techniques we have carried out a deep search for starlight reflected from the giant planet orbiting the star Tau Bootis. We combined echelle spectra secured at the 4.2 m William Herschel…

Polarimetry is a novel tool to detect and characterize exoplanets and their atmospheres. Polarized scattered light from the non-transiting hot Jupiter $\upsilon$~And~b is measured to further constrain its orbit, mass, density, and…

The detection of trends or gradients in the transmission spectrum of extrasolar planets is possible with observations at very low spectral resolution. Transit measurements of sufficient accuracy using selected broad-band filters allow for…

Measuring the albedo of an extrasolar planet provides insights into its atmospheric composition and its global thermal properties, including heat dissipation and weather patterns. Such a measurement requires very precise photometry of a…

Context. Pluto's tenuous nitrogen (N2) atmosphere undergoes strong seasonal effects due to high obliquity and orbital eccentricity, and has been recently (July 2015) observed by the New Horizons spacecraft. Goals are (i) construct a well…

The Planetary Transits and Oscillations of stars mission (PLATO) will allow us to measure surface rotation and monitor photometric activity of tens of thousands of main sequence solar-type and subgiant stars. This paper is the first of a…

Here we present the results of visible range light curve observations of ten Centaurs using the Kepler Space Telescope in the framework of the K2 mission. Well defined periodic light curves are obtained in six cases allowing us to derive…

The observational picture of the enigmatic O-type spectrum variable HD191612 has been sharpened substantially. A symmetrical, low-amplitude light curve with a period near 540 d has recently been reported from Hipparcos photometry. This…

We present the historical light curve of T Tau derived from photographic plates in the Harvard College Observatory archives. We find that the optical light of T Tau varied by 2-3 (or more) magnitudes on time scales as short as a month prior…

We present the historic light curve of the BL Lac object S5 0716+714, spanning the time interval from 1953 to 2003, built using Asiago archive plates and our recent CCD observations, together with literature data. The source shows an…

Approach images taken by the LORRI imaging system during the New Horizons spacecraft encounter have been used to determine the mean radii and shapes of Pluto and Charon. The primary observations are limb locations derived using three…

We present new light curves covering 14 to 19 years of observations of four bright proto-planetary nebulae (PPNs), all O-rich and of F spectral type. They each display cyclical light curves with significant variations in amplitude. All four…