ARCSAT ID NUMBER: AS03

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE: Transiting Exoplanets as a Instructional Tool for
Undergraduate Observational Astronomy

PI: Nancy Chanover (NMSU)

OBSERVER(S): Nancy Chanover (and ~ 4 undergraduate students)

UNCERTIFIED/UNTRAINED OBSERVERS: Nancy Chanover (and students)

COLLABORATORS:  Pedro Sada, Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico
 
CONTACT INFORMATION: nchanove@nmsu.edu, 575-915-2041 (c), 575-646-2567
(w)

NUMBER OF WEEKS REQUESTED: 1

TIME REQUESTED:

Priority 1: March 16-22
Priority 3: March 2-8
Priority 2: April 6-12

INSTRUMENT: SurveyCam

FILTERS: UBVRI

COMMENTS:  schedule priorities are based solely on my availability and
nearness to the end of the semester.

BRIEF SCIENCE JUSTIFICATION:

We propose to observe a number of transiting exoplanets using
SurveyCam in order to provide a semester-long data analysis project
for undergraduate students enrolled in NMSU's Astronomy 402
("Introduction to Astronomical Observations and Techniques") course.
The specific targets we will observe will depend on when our observing
run gets scheduled.  The students will participate in the data
collection, although I will be the main observer and will not allow
them to help  me "drive" until I am completely comfortable with
everything.  They will also use these data to learn about data
analysis and interpretation techniques.  The students will work in
teams to analyze the data, ultimately with the goal of deriving
relevant parameters for these exoplanet systems (planet sizes, orbital
distance, orbital inclination).  They will compare their results with
those in the literature, both to validate their methodology and to
assess the systems for possible transient phenomena (e.g. star spots)
and temporal variations.