Ground-Based Light Curve Follow-Up Validation Observations of TESS Object of Interest (TOI) 3777.01
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) employs the transit method to scan the sky for exoplanet candidates, which require ground-based follow-up observations for validation. In this paper, we present ground-based follow-up observations and analysis of TESS Object of Interest (TOI) 3777.01. The primary goal of this investigation was to determine whether the observed transit occurred as expected, thereby reducing the likelihood of false positives and assessing the validity of TOI-3777.01 as an exoplanet. Observations were conducted using the George Mason University 0.8m telescope, and a ground-based light curve was generated using AstroImageJ. The resulting light curve reveals a distinct dimming of the host star during the expected transit period, consistent with TESS predictions. Although the lack of pre-ingress data prevents definitive confirmation, the alignment of observed and expected transit parameters and the absence of likely nearby eclipsing binaries suggest that TOI-3777.01 is a genuine exoplanet candidate worthy of further research for validation. These findings contribute to ongoing efforts within the TESS Follow-up Observing Program (TFOP) to validate and characterize exoplanets discovered by TESS.
Publication Details
- Journal
- George Mason University
- Published
- 2025-10-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.13021/mars/15202
- Primary Topic
- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00