Validation of Exoplanet Candidate TOI-6034.01
ISEF · 2026 Physics and Astronomy
Overview
A planet is a celestial body that orbits a star. Thousands of exoplanets (planets outside of our solar system) have been discovered to date, with many additional candidates identified by missions such as TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). In this research, I aimed to confirm the existence of an exoplanet candidate in the system TOI-6034.01 and to characterize its physical properties using the transit method. Ground base observations were essential to provide higher spatial resolution and improve Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) compared to TESS data. Observations of the candidate were carried out using the Large Array Survey Telescope (LAST). The collected data consisted of 409 individual images of the host star, taken over a total of approximately 1.5 hours. The images were used to construct a light curve, enabling the of changes in the star's brightness over time. The resulting light curve shows a clear dip in brightness, indicating the presence of an orbiting object transiting in front of the star. From the analysis of the light curve, the planet's radius was estimated to be approximately 1.5 times that of Jupiter, with an orbital distance of 0.02724 AU. The planet's equilibrium temperature was estimated to be about 740 K, suggesting that it is too hot to support liquid water, and therefore it lies outside the habitable zone of its host star. The findings confirm that the star TOI 6034 hosts an exoplanet. While the photometric data provide strong evidence for its existence, additional spectroscopic observations are required to determine its mass and further constrain its physical properties.
Competition history
- ISEF 2026
Resources
Related projects
ISEF · 2025
Confirmation and Characterization of the Exoplanet Candidate TOI-5770.01 Using Ground-Based Observations
ISEF · 2025
The New Exoplanet TOI1147b: A Hot Jupiter Orbiting Its Subgiant-Class Star in a Highly Elliptical Orbit
ISEF · 2019
Ground-based Followups of TESS Exoplanet Candidates
ISEF · 2015
The Periodic Effect of a Star's Change in Magnitude Due to a Planet's Transit: A Search for Habitable Planets
ISEF · 2021
EXoplanet ConfIrmaTIoN throuGh transits (EXCITING): Determining False Positives for Exoplanet Candidates
ISEF · 2021
A Mathematically Driven Physical Analysis into Exoplanet Detection Confirmation Surveys Using Bayesian Inferential Statistics, Machine Learning/Linear Algebra Sklearn and TensorFlow Techniques, the BATMAN Python Programming Library, 3D Printing Techniques, and a Custom-made Python Processing Pipeline for Image Analysis and Lightcurve Detection
ISEF · 2018
Kepler-Keck Double Check: Confirming Exoplanet Candidates Using Keck Radial Velocity Data
ISEF · 2018
Far Out! Analyzing NASA's Kepler Space Telescope Data Using the Transit-Timing Variation Method to Discover Additional Exoplanets in Planetary Systems
Closest projects by meaning, across every fair and year in the corpus.
Browse more like this
Source: Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair