ExoSelect and ExoRequest: Targets and Resources for efficiently observing Exoplanets

Abstract

In the past decade, exoplanet science has exploded, driven by discoveries using observations from both space-based and ground-based telescopes. Large amounts of data, coupled with technological advances and easy access to robotic telescopes, have allowed the general public and students to become vital contributors to the field. These developments have also provided fertile ground in the context of science education, by enabling exoplanet science to be taken into classrooms as an authentic scientific inquiry, echoing the notions of Science-as-Practice. This paper introduces technical infrastructure that enables beginners and students to quickly pick exoplanet targets and schedule an observation. It also provides a list of the “best” exoplanets to try and observe by month of the year (related to Right Ascension) and latitude (related to Declination).