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While building up a catalog of Earth orbiting objects, if the available optical observations are sparse, not deliberate follow ups of specific objects, no orbit determination is possible without previous correlation of observations obtained…
Gravitational microlensing is known for baryoninc dark matter searches. Here we show that microlensing also provides a unique tool for the detection of low mass planets (such as earths and neptunes) from the ground. A planetary system forms…
Knowledge of the orbits of visual binary stars has always been one of the fundamentals of astronomy. Based historically on the visual measures, nowadays the orbits rely more (or exclusively) on the accurate speckle data. This prompts…
We propose an algorithm that can be used by amateur astronomers to analyze the images acquired during solar eclipses. The proposed algorithm analyzes the image, detects the eclipse and produces results for parameters like magnitude of…
The Rossiter-McLaughlin effect observed for transiting exoplanets often requires prior knowledge of the stellar projected equatorial rotational velocity. This is usually provided by measuring the broadening of spectral lines, however this…
With neutrino astronomy just beginning to burgeon, and the prospects of detecting the cosmic neutrino background closer than ever, we live in an era with the unique opportunity not only to investigate the universe with this novel probe, but…
The mutual orbital alignment in multiple planetary systems is an important parameter for understanding their formation. There are a number of elaborate techniques to determine the alignment parameters using photometric or spectroscopic…
Using the model based on the Regge-like laws, new analytical formulas are obtained for the moment of inertia, the rotation frequency, and the radius of astronomical non-exotic objects (planets, stars, galaxies, and clusters of galaxies).…
We show that the Kepler spacecraft in two-reaction wheel mode of operation is very well suited for the study of eclipsing binary star systems. Continued observations of the Kepler field will provide the most enduring and long-term valuable…
The polarization state of starlight reflected by a planetary atmosphere uniquely reveals coverage, particle size, and composition of aerosols as well as changing cloud patterns. It is not possible to obtain a comparable level of detailed…
This paper investigates the dynamics of a particle orbiting around a rotating homogeneous cube, and shows fruitful results that have implications for examining the dynamics of orbits around non-spherical celestial bodies. This study can be…
If an orbit is fitted from combined RV and astrometric data, the orbit should be physically consistent with both data sets. The Keplerian orbit of a planet is a highly nonlinear function of seven parameters. The astrometric orbit problem…
The astrometry technique is an important tool for detecting and characterizing exoplanets of different type. In this review, the different projects which are either operating, in construction or in discussion are presented and their…
In its all-sky survey, Gaia will monitor astrometrically hundreds of thousands of main-sequence stars within $\approx200$ pc, looking for the presence of giant planetary companions within a few AUs from their host stars. Indeed, Gaia…
The regularities in the structure of the planetary system, expressed by the Titius-Bode law, can be accounted also by using a more general formula, derived not by fit but from a logarithmic integrality constraint on the angular momentum…
A cosmology calculator that computes times and distances as a function of redshift for user-defined cosmological parameters is available on the World Wide Web. This note gives the formulae used by the cosmology calculator and discusses some…
The motion of binary star systems is re-examined in the presence of perturbations from the theory of general relativity. The Kepler problem is regularized and linearized with quaternions. In this way first order perturbation results are…
We are still in the early days of exoplanet discovery. Astronomers are beginning to model the atmospheres and interiors of exoplanets and have developed a deeper understanding of processes of planet formation and evolution. However, we have…
(Abridged) The solar system gas giant planets are oblate due to their rapid rotation. A measurement of the planet's projected oblateness would constrain the planet's rotational period. Planets that are synchronously rotating with their…
In addition to its great potential for characterizing extra-solar planetary systems the Kepler mission is providing unique data on stellar oscillations. A key aspect of Kepler asteroseismology is the application to solar-like oscillations…