Constraining the Orbital Parameters of Wasp-104b: Results from the First Fully Online Research Course for Astronomy Majors

Transit photometry remains the most robust method for exoplanetary detection, accounting for more than 75% of confirmed exoplanets on the NASA Exoplanet Archive. Space telescopes like Kepler and TESS are only able to observe stellar targets for a limited amount of time, and as a result, there are considerable error bars on important parameters such as the transiting planet's mid-transit time and orbital period. The uncertainty on these properties increases with time. In order to keep a more precise record of exoplanets' orbital periods and mid-transit times for eventual observation by space telescopes like JWST and ARIEL, additional follow-up observations must be taken in the interim. For many Hot Jupiters, these follow-up observations can be taken by small, ground-based telescopes.

Exoplanet Watch is a NASA-funded citizen science project that solicits the help of the public to update the orbital parameters of Hot Jupiters using ground-based telescopes. Through partnerships with Exoplanet Watch and the MicroObservatory network of ground-based telescopes, Arizona State University developed the first fully online undergraduate research course for astronomy majors (SES 394: Exoplanet Research Experience). Students enrolled in the course's pilot during the Fall 2022 semester were tasked with updating the orbital parameters of WASP-104 b. SES 394 students utilized the EXOplanet Transit Interpretation Code (EXOTIC), a Python 3 package developed by Exoplanet Watch, to analyze photometric data from 51 nights of observations of WASP-104. At the conclusion of the course (December 2022), students will have collaboratively drafted a short manuscript with WASP-104 b's updated ephemerides for publication in the Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (JAAVSO).

This abstract is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant #IUSE 2121225