Observing transiting exoplanets with the MicroObservatory: 43 new\n transit light curves of the hot Jupiter HAT-P-32b

Abstract

Observations of 43 complete transits of the hot Jupiter exoplanet HAT-P-32b\nusing the MicroObservatory 0.15-m robotic telescope network covering a period\nof 7 years are presented. Compared with the most recent ephemeris for the\nsystem, the precision of the mid-transit times yielded a root-mean-square value\nfrom the predicted model of 3.0 min. The estimated system parameters based on\nEXOFAST modelling are broadly consistent with those of the default parameter\nvalues listed in the NASA Exoplanet Archive. An updated orbital period of\n2.15000815 +/- 0.00000013 d and ephemeris of 2458881.71392 +/- 0.00027 BJDTDB\nis consistent with recent studies of the system using larger telescopes. Using\nthis updated ephemeris, the predicted mid-transit time for a notional\nobservation of HAT-P-32b by the NASA JWST mission in mid-2021 is improved by\n1.4 min compared with the discovery ephemeris and is ~8 times more precise.\nLikewise, the mid-transit time for an observation by the ESA ARIEL mission in\n2020 is improved by 1.7 min. Thus, observations of transiting exoplanets by\nMicroObservatory and other users of small telescopes can contribute to the\nmaintenance of the ephemerides of targets for future space-based telescope\nmissions. We also note that one of the HAT-P-32 field stars is a {\\delta} Scuti\npulsating variable and that characterization using the same observations as\nthis study further demonstrates the utility of MicroObservatory for the\nobservation of stellar variability, whilst simultaneously observing transiting\nexoplanets for ephemeris maintenance.\n