The Kepler Mission, launched on Mar 6, 2009 was designed with the explicit capability to detect Earth-size planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars using the transit photometry method. Results from just forty-three days of data along with ground-based follow-up observations have identified five new transiting planets with measurements of their masses, radii, and orbital periods. Many aspects of stellar astrophysics also benefit from the unique, precise, extended and nearly continuous data set for a large number and variety of stars. Early results for classical variables and eclipsing stars show great promise. To fully understand the methodology, processes and eventually the results from the mission, we present the underlying rationale that ultimately led to the flight and ground system designs used to achieve the exquisite photometric performance. As an example of the initial photometric results, we present variability measurements that can be used to distinguish dwarf stars from red giants.

The Venus bow shock location has been measured at nearly 2000 shock crossings, and its dependence on solar EUV, solar wind conditions, and the interplanetary magnetic field determined. The shock position at the terminator varies from about 2.14 Venus radii at solar minimum to 2.40 Venus radii at solar maximum. The location of the shock varies little with solar wind dynamic pressure but strongly with solar wind Mach number. The shock is farthest from Venus on the side of the planet in which newly created ions gyrate away from the ionosphere. When the interplanetary magnetic field is perpendicular to the flow, the cross section of the shock is quite elliptical.This effect appears to be due to the anisotropic propagation of the fast magnetosonic wave.When the interplanetary magnetic field is aligned with the flow, the bow shock cross section is circular and only weakly sensitive to changing EUV flux.

[1] Potential field source surface models of the coronal magnetic field, based on Mt. Wilson Observatory synoptic magnetograms, are used to infer the coronal hole sources of low-heliolatitude solar wind over approximately the last three solar cycles. Related key parameters like interplanetary magnetic field and bulk velocity are also calculated. The results illustrate how the evolving contribution of the polar hole sources relative to that from low-latitude and midlatitude active region hole sources can explain solar magnetic field control of long-term interplanetary variations. In particular, the enduring consistent magnetogram record and continuous model displays produce a useful overview of the solar control of interplanetary cycles and trends that affect space weather.

The Kepler Mission relies on precise differential photometry to detect the 80 parts per million (ppm) signal from an Earth-Sun equivalent transit. Such precision requires superb instrument stability on time scales up to ∼2 days and systematic error removal to better than 20 ppm. To this end, the spacecraft and photometer underwent 67 days of commissioning, which included several data sets taken to characterize the photometer performance. Because Kepler has no shutter, we took a series of dark images prior to the dust cover ejection, from which we measured the bias levels, dark current, and read noise. These basic detector properties are essentially unchanged from ground-based tests, indicating that the photometer is working as expected. Several image artifacts have proven more complex than when observed during ground testing, as a result of their interactions with starlight and the greater thermal stability in flight, which causes the temperature-dependent artifact variations to be on the timescales of transits. Because of Kepler's unprecedented sensitivity and stability, we have also seen several unexpected systematics that affect photometric precision. We are using the first 43 days of science data to characterize these effects and to develop detection and mitigation methods that will be implemented in the calibration pipeline. Based on early testing, we expect to attain Kepler's planned photometric precision over 80%-90% of the field of view.