DEMONEX: The DEdicated MONitor of EXotransits

Abstract

Abstract DEMONEX is a low-cost, 0.5 meter, robotic telescope assembled mostly from commercially available parts dedicated to obtaining precise photometry of bright stars with transiting planets. This photometry will provide a homogeneous data set for all transits visible from its location at Winer Observatory in Sonoita, Arizona. We will also search for additional planets via transit timing variations, measure or place limits on the albedos from secondary eclipses, systematically search known radial velocity planets for those that transit, and follow up promising KELT candidates. Despite its modest size, the signal-to-noise ratio per transit is comparable to that obtained with larger, 1m-class telescopes because of its short readout time and high z-band quantum efficiency. However, its main strength is that it will be used every night for transit follow-up and gather an unprecedented data set on transiting planets. With the 24 known transiting planets and 112 radial velocity planets visible from Winer Observatory, over 90% of all nights have at least one full event to observe.