IAU on confirmation of exoplanet detection
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IAU on confirmation of exoplanet detection
What does the IAU exactly require for the confirmation of an exoplanet detection?
Three identical occultations or wobble periods?
I couldn't find the IAU weblink for such requirements
Three identical occultations or wobble periods?
I couldn't find the IAU weblink for such requirements

Phill- Micrometeorite

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Location: Coastline where Einstein lived in 1933...
Registration date: 2009-07-31

Re: IAU on confirmation of exoplanet detection
The IAU doesn't confirm or unconfirm exoplanets. They're in charge more of determining names of bodies, craters, classifications of objects, etc.
From what I can tell, the planet is confirmed purely by peer-reviewed research, and similarly disproven by it.
From what I can tell, the planet is confirmed purely by peer-reviewed research, and similarly disproven by it.
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Sirius_Alpha- Admin

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Re: IAU on confirmation of exoplanet detection
That's what I thought also, but I read somewhere that at least three identical occultations were needed to be sure planetary transits are observed rather than some other process mimicing an exoplanet.
Generally two observations give a clue, three to make sure
Wouldn't be surprised if there're some IAU requirements
Generally two observations give a clue, three to make sure
Wouldn't be surprised if there're some IAU requirements

Phill- Micrometeorite

- Number of posts: 13
Location: Coastline where Einstein lived in 1933...
Registration date: 2009-07-31

Re: IAU on confirmation of exoplanet detection
The need for multiple transits is indeed to make sure it's a planet. This is a rule followed by the discoverers to make sure that they don't have to make a retraction later.
So let's say you discover a transit. You wait patiently for another transit, and it comes four days later. Yippie! You found a planet. But then four days afterward, you don't get a transit. Then two days after you expect it, you get another transit. Continued observations reveal that you've found two transiting planets in the same system, and what you thought was the orbital period of a single planet turns out to be the time inbetween transits of the two planets. The time inbetween transits may change if your photometric precision is low enough that sun spots trick you into thinking you found a transit. Since sun spots move around, you'll get transits that occur with changing regularity. Thus multiple transits are needed to check for consistency.
First transit -> You discovered a transiting object.
Second transit -> You have a lower limit on its orbital period.
Third transit -> Pattern repeats, orbital period confirmed.
This isn't IAU rules, and the IAU has nothing to do with confirming or disproving exoplanets. They're not even rules, but rather guidelines that anyone would want to use to make sure that they don't have to retract something later.
So let's say you discover a transit. You wait patiently for another transit, and it comes four days later. Yippie! You found a planet. But then four days afterward, you don't get a transit. Then two days after you expect it, you get another transit. Continued observations reveal that you've found two transiting planets in the same system, and what you thought was the orbital period of a single planet turns out to be the time inbetween transits of the two planets. The time inbetween transits may change if your photometric precision is low enough that sun spots trick you into thinking you found a transit. Since sun spots move around, you'll get transits that occur with changing regularity. Thus multiple transits are needed to check for consistency.
First transit -> You discovered a transiting object.
Second transit -> You have a lower limit on its orbital period.
Third transit -> Pattern repeats, orbital period confirmed.
This isn't IAU rules, and the IAU has nothing to do with confirming or disproving exoplanets. They're not even rules, but rather guidelines that anyone would want to use to make sure that they don't have to retract something later.
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Conspiracy theories aren't real, the government just wants you to think they are so they can steal your thoughts when you aren't looking.

Sirius_Alpha- Admin

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Re: IAU on confirmation of exoplanet detection
IAU really hasn't got much about exoplanets... the definition of "planet" they put out is specifically restricted to the solar system, they do not have anything to do with the naming convention, anything like that.
The IAU's Working Group on Extrasolar Planets disbanded in 2006... its webpage is here.
The IAU's Working Group on Extrasolar Planets disbanded in 2006... its webpage is here.
Lazarus- Jovian

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