Ground-Based Light Curve Follow-Up Validation Observations of TESS Object of Interest TOI 3779.01

This study investigates whether the TESS Object of Interest (TOI) 3779.01 is a confirmed exoplanet. On 02-13-2023, observational data were collected at the George Mason University Observatory, including dark frames, flat fields, and science images. While TOI 3779.01 is currently listed as a candidate exoplanet in the NASA Exoplanet Archive, it has yet to be confirmed through follow-up methods such as radial velocity (RV) measurements or chromaticity. The acquired images were calibrated using darks and flats, then plate solved to ensure proper alignment. A light curve was generated using AstroImageJ and archival data, revealing a distinct transit signal, marked by a clear dip in brightness between the predicted ingress and egress times. A nearby eclipsing binary (NEB) test revealed potential contamination or systematic noise in several targets; however, the primary target and selected comparison stars remained within the cleared boundary. To model the light curve, several assumptions were made due to limited stellar data: the host star radius was assumed to be 1 R☉, metallicity was set to 0, and the limb-darkening coefficients (u₁ and u₂) were both set to 0.3. While these approximations introduce uncertainty, the resulting transit signature strongly supports the hypothesis that TOI 3779.01 is an exoplanet by calculating a transit of 6.15 ppt, which is similar to the predicted transit depth of 6.00 ppt. Continued analysis, such as estimating stellar parameters or classifying the planet as a hot Jupiter or warm Neptune, can provide further insight. Also, other methods such as radial velocity or spectroscopy could be done to ensure that the transit was not the result of an NEB. When combined with additional research, this study contributes compelling evidence toward confirming TOI 3779.01 as a genuine exoplanet.