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Introduction

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The Transits of Extrasolar Planets with Moons

Part of the book series: Springer Theses ((Springer Theses))

Abstract

It is not exaggeration to say that a great deal of the motivation behind searching for extrasolar planets is embodied by the above question. Since time immemorial, humans have turned their gaze to the illimitable, velvet darkness peppered with oases of light and wondered whether other beings, such as ourselves, also populate the ocean of space and time.

To consider the Earth as the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field sown with millet, only one grain will grow Metrodorus of Chios, fourth century bc

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Although the Moon and the Sun were no longer classed as planets, the Earth was now seen as a planet, to give six

  2. 2.

    I here introduce the notation for several parameters related to the planet and star. In many other texts, a subscript “P” is not placed on the planetary terms. However, in this thesis I will be dealing with \({>}1\) planet and satellites and the advantage of the “P” subscript will become apparent.

  3. 3.

    Note: “mas” denotes milli-arcseconds.

  4. 4.

    And also minimizes the radial velocity amplitude.

  5. 5.

    Note that not all of these possibilities were known early on.

  6. 6.

    I here describe the geometric transit depth. The observed transit depth is, in general, deeper than this due to limb darkening effects.

  7. 7.

    Note that systematic errors can be either instrumental or astrophysical in origin.

  8. 8.

    See http://www.exoplanet.eu

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  1. Rm. P-348, Center for Astrophysics, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    David M. Kipping

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Kipping, D.M. (2011). Introduction. In: The Transits of Extrasolar Planets with Moons. Springer Theses. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22269-6_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22269-6_1

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