Exoplanet Research
Our galaxy is filled with stars... About two hundred billion of them. That's around 200,000,000,000 stars, each one holding the potential for planets to orbit around them. Learn how DPAS is helping refine our understanding of these exoplanets.
Understanding planets outside our solar system
Long relegated to the realm of science fiction, extrasolar planets (exoplanets) are now a scientific fact. As of November 2025, there are over 6,000 confirmed exoplanets, and many more keep being discovered.
One of the most common way of detecting exoplanets is the transit method. As a planet passes in front of its host star, that star's brightness dims slightly, and with sensitive enough equipment, that dip in brightness can be detected. A light curve, a record of a star's brightness, can be used to learn a lot about a transiting planet. Knowing the host star's size, a light curve can be used to determine the planet's size, its orbital period, and even its distance from the star.
Data from known exoplanet transits recorded by DPAS is sent to NASA's Exoplanet Watch program, a citizen science project which combines transit light curves made by amateur astronomers to help scientists get a better understanding of these worlds thousands of light-years from Earth.
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In November of 2024, DPAS was recognized by the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) for the cumulative contribution of over 10 exoplanet observations.
Transit Highlights
HD 189733 b
Distance from Earth: 64 light-years
Radius: 1.13 x Jupiter
Mass: 1.13 x Jupiter
Orbital Radius: 0.03126 AU
Orbital Period: 2.2 days
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"This far-off blue planet may look like a friendly haven – but don’t be deceived! Weather here is deadly. The planet’s cobalt blue color comes from a hazy, blow-torched atmosphere containing clouds laced with glass."
WASP-39 b ("Bocaprins")
Distance from Earth: 698 light-years
Radius: 1.279 x Jupiter
Mass: 0.281 x Jupiter
Orbital Radius: 0.04828 AU
Orbital Period: 4.1 days
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"WASP-39 b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a G-type star. [...] In July 2022 it became the first exoplanet to be studied by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope."
HAT-P-59 b
Distance from Earth: 866 light-years
Radius: 1.123 x Jupiter
Mass: 1.154 x Jupiter
Orbital Radius: 0.05064 AU
Orbital Period: 4.1 days
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"HAT-P-59 b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a G-type star. [...] Its discovery was announced in 2021."
Interested in learning more?
See all our transits at the American Association of Variable Star Observers: https://apps.aavso.org/exosite/?obscode=AAMF&in_notes=&star_name=&exoplanet_name=&start_date=&end_date=&results_per_page=&search=true