Coursera Flash Sale
40% Off Coursera Plus for 3 Months!
Grab it
Learn how to contribute to exoplanet discoveries through the TESS Follow-up Observing Program (TFOP) in this comprehensive webinar presented by Dr. Karen Collins from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Discover the critical role of ground-based observations in confirming planetary candidates identified by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which has completed seven years of sky observations. Explore the TFOP program structure and coordination efforts that bring together citizen scientists, students, and professional astronomers worldwide to validate or eliminate potential exoplanet candidates as false positives. Master the specialized tools and software platforms designed for coordinating and analyzing transit observations, and understand the systematic approach used to process TESS discoveries. Gain insights into the application process for joining the TFOP team and contributing to this global collaborative effort in exoplanet research. Examine real examples of successful planet confirmations and learn about the various observational techniques employed in follow-up studies. The presentation includes detailed explanations of data analysis methods, observational requirements, and the scientific significance of ground-based confirmation work in the broader context of exoplanet science.
