Towards ASTEP+, a two-color photometric telescope at Dome C, Antarctica

• Published in: Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII
• Main Authors: Crouzet, Nicolas, Agabi, Abdelkrim, Guillot, Tristan, Abe, Lyu, Schmider, François-Xavier, Mékarnia, Djamel, Triaud, Amaury, H M J, Bresson, Yves, Mauclert, Nicolas, Bailet, Christophe, Breeveld, Dennis, Blommaert, Sander, Shortt, Brian, Daban, Jean-Baptiste, Lagrange, Anne-Marie, Touzé, Romain, Dufour, Justin, Stee, Valentin, Caruana, Jocelyn
• Other Authors: Laboratoire de Cosmologie, Astrophysique Stellaire & Solaire, de Planétologie et de Mécanique des Fluides (CASSIOPEE), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (OCA), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire Hippolyte Fizeau (FIZEAU), Joseph Louis LAGRANGE (LAGRANGE), School of Physics and Astronomy Birmingham, University of Birmingham Birmingham, Laboratoire H. Fizeau, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA)
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2020
• Subjects: Photometry; Times-series; Exoplanets; Transits; ASTEP; Antarctica; [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]; [SPI]Engineering Sciences [physics]; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03378479; https://hal.science/hal-03378479/document; https://hal.science/hal-03378479/file/Towards_a_two_color_photometer_with_ASTEP_at_Dome_C__Antarctica___SPIE_Proceedings_2020.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562550

International audience Dome C, Antarctica is unique in particular for long-duration astronomical observations due to the excellent weather conditions and nearly uninterrupted nights during the Southern winter period. The 40 cm telescope ASTEP has been operating successfully at the Concordia base, at Dome C, since 2010. We describe the new ASTEP+, a major upgrade of its camera box which will allow it to observe simultaneously in two colors. Approximately three times more photons will be collected for science, yielding more sensitive and accurate observations. The southern location of the telescope means that it is ideally located to follow-up exoplanetary targets in preparation for the future JWST and Ariel observations, in particular when located in the southern continuous viewing zones of these space-based telescopes.