The PANOPTES project: discovering exoplanets with low-cost digital cameras

Olivier Guyon; Josh Walawender; Nemanja Jovanovic; Mike Butterfield; Wilfred T. Gee; Rawad Mery; PANOPTES team

doi:10.1117/12.2057288

The PANOPTES project: discovering exoplanets with low-cost digital cameras

Olivier Guyon^*, Josh Walawender, Nemanja Jovanovic, Mike Butterfield, Wilfred T. Gee, Rawad Mery, PANOPTES team

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Panoptic Astronomical Networked OPtical observatory for Transiting Exoplanets Survey (PANOPTES, www.projectpanoptes.org) project is aimed at identifying transiting exoplanets using a wide network of low-cost imaging units. Each unit consists of two commercial digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras equipped with 85mm F1.4 lenses, mounted on a small equatorial mount. At a few $1000s per unit, the system offers a uniquely advantageous survey eficiency for the cost, and can easily be assembled by amateur astronomers or students. Three generations of prototype units have so far been tested, and the baseline unit design, which optimizes robustness, simplicity and cost, is now ready to be duplicated. We describe the hardware and software for the PANOPTES project, focusing on key challenging aspects of the project. We show that obtaining high precision photometric measurements with commercial DSLR color cameras is possible, using a PSF-matching algorithm we developed for this project. On-sky tests show that percent-level photometric precision is achieved in 1 min with a single camera. We also discuss hardware choices aimed at optimizing system robustness while maintaining adequate cost. PANOPTES is both an outreach project and a scientifically compelling survey for transiting exoplanets. In its current phase, experienced PANOPTES members are deploying a limited number of units, acquiring the experience necessary to run the network. A much wider community will then be able to participate to the project, with schools and citizen scientists integrating their units in the network.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes V
Editors	Larry M. Stepp, Roberto Gilmozzi, Helen J. Hall
Place of Publication	Bellingham, Washington
Publisher	SPIE
Pages	1-8
Number of pages	8
ISBN (Electronic)	9780819496133
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2057288
Publication status	Published - 2014
Externally published	Yes
Event	Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes V - Montreal, Canada Duration: 22 Jun 2014 → 27 Jun 2014

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE
Publisher	SPIE
Volume	9145
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X

Other

Other	Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes V
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Montreal
Period	22/06/14 → 27/06/14

Keywords

Exoplanets
Photometry
Robotic Telescopes

Access to Document

10.1117/12.2057288

Cite this

Guyon, O., Walawender, J., Jovanovic, N., Butterfield, M., Gee, W. T., Mery, R., & PANOPTES team (2014). The PANOPTES project: discovering exoplanets with low-cost digital cameras. In L. M. Stepp, R. Gilmozzi, & H. J. Hall (Eds.), Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes V (pp. 1-8). Article 91453V (Proceedings of SPIE; Vol. 9145). SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2057288

@inproceedings{1af4e959da85400494d6056d481c9df4,

title = "The PANOPTES project: discovering exoplanets with low-cost digital cameras",

abstract = "The Panoptic Astronomical Networked OPtical observatory for Transiting Exoplanets Survey (PANOPTES, www.projectpanoptes.org) project is aimed at identifying transiting exoplanets using a wide network of low-cost imaging units. Each unit consists of two commercial digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras equipped with 85mm F1.4 lenses, mounted on a small equatorial mount. At a few $1000s per unit, the system offers a uniquely advantageous survey eficiency for the cost, and can easily be assembled by amateur astronomers or students. Three generations of prototype units have so far been tested, and the baseline unit design, which optimizes robustness, simplicity and cost, is now ready to be duplicated. We describe the hardware and software for the PANOPTES project, focusing on key challenging aspects of the project. We show that obtaining high precision photometric measurements with commercial DSLR color cameras is possible, using a PSF-matching algorithm we developed for this project. On-sky tests show that percent-level photometric precision is achieved in 1 min with a single camera. We also discuss hardware choices aimed at optimizing system robustness while maintaining adequate cost. PANOPTES is both an outreach project and a scientifically compelling survey for transiting exoplanets. In its current phase, experienced PANOPTES members are deploying a limited number of units, acquiring the experience necessary to run the network. A much wider community will then be able to participate to the project, with schools and citizen scientists integrating their units in the network.",

keywords = "Exoplanets, Photometry, Robotic Telescopes",

author = "Olivier Guyon and Josh Walawender and Nemanja Jovanovic and Mike Butterfield and Gee, {Wilfred T.} and Rawad Mery and {PANOPTES team}",

year = "2014",

doi = "10.1117/12.2057288",

language = "English",

series = "Proceedings of SPIE",

publisher = "SPIE",

pages = "1--8",

editor = "Stepp, {Larry M.} and Roberto Gilmozzi and Hall, {Helen J.}",

booktitle = "Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes V",

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note = "Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes V ; Conference date: 22-06-2014 Through 27-06-2014",

}

Guyon, O, Walawender, J, Jovanovic, N, Butterfield, M, Gee, WT, Mery, R & PANOPTES team 2014, The PANOPTES project: discovering exoplanets with low-cost digital cameras. in LM Stepp, R Gilmozzi & HJ Hall (eds), Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes V., 91453V, Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 9145, SPIE, Bellingham, Washington, pp. 1-8, Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes V, Montreal, Canada, 22/06/14. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2057288

The PANOPTES project: discovering exoplanets with low-cost digital cameras. / Guyon, Olivier; Walawender, Josh; Jovanovic, Nemanja et al.
Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes V. ed. / Larry M. Stepp; Roberto Gilmozzi; Helen J. Hall. Bellingham, Washington: SPIE, 2014. p. 1-8 91453V (Proceedings of SPIE; Vol. 9145).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution › peer-review

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AU - Mery, Rawad

AU - PANOPTES team

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ER -

The PANOPTES project: discovering exoplanets with low-cost digital cameras

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