Ground-based light curve follow-up validation observations of TESS object of interest TOI 6397.02

The search for exoplanets has advanced in the past few decades, with missions such as NASA’s TESS identifying thousands of planetary candidates. This study presents ground-based photometric observations of TOI 6397.01, a candidate exoplanet detected by TESS but not yet confirmed. Using the George Mason University Observatory’s telescope, 195 images were captured on July 12, 2023. These images were processed using AstroImageJ and Python. The resulting light curve shows a transit-like feature at the predicted ephemeris, suggesting that noise and low photometric precision affected results. Nearby eclipsing binary analysis indicated no significant contamination, though faintness of the host star and modest telescope aperture limited sensitivity to shallow transits. While our data did not yield a statistically robust detection, the timing alignment supports the planetary interpretation. Future observations with larger telescopes and improved photometric precision are recommended to confirm the nature of TOI 6397.01 and refine its characteristics.