Stepping Stones to TFOP: Experience of the Saint Mary’s College Geissberger Observatory (Abstract)

Volume 47 number 1 (2019)

Ariana Hofelmann

Saint Mary’s College of California, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 1928 Saint Mary's Road, Moraga, CA 94575; brh3@stmarys-ca.edu

Brian Hill

Saint Mary’s College of California, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 1928 Saint Mary's Road, Moraga, CA 94575; brh3@stmarys-ca.edu

Abstract

(Abstract only) We upgraded our college’s Meade 0.4-m telescope, including its software, mount, and imaging train, in order to perform exoplanet photometry. We used a variety of resources, beginning with Dennis Conti’s Exoplanet CHOICE course. We will summarize the data-taking processes and analysis software typically used for this type of photometry. After having been accepted into the TESS Followup Observing Program Sub Group 1 (TFOP SG1), we have been going through a process of imaging and submitting false positives that conform to their data submission requirements. We hope our experience and the encouragement of the TFOP program leaders will inspire other AAVSO members to go through similar steps.