The Kepler spacecraft, launched
on Mar 6, 2009, monitors 100,000+ stars with continuous 30
minute temporal sampling. Kepler's primary science objective
is exoplanet
detection, with particular focus on terrestrial planets
within habitable zones. The 105 square degree field of view
is located within the Cygnus-Lyra region and will be
continuously monitored throughout the full mission. There is a
nominal magnitude range for Kepler science of mV =
9−15 for the primary program, although justifiable
targets as faint as mV = 20 will be considered for
Guest Observer (GO) use. The one instrumental bandpass is
broad, from 4,200 to 9,000 Å and the point spread
function is 6 arc seconds (FWHM). Photometric precision is 20
parts per million for a mV = 12 magnitude G2V star
integrating for 6.5 hours. With a baseline mission of 3.5
years and an option for an additional 2 year extension, the
resulting data archive will provide a unique combination of
photometric precision, duration, contiguity and source
volume.
The community have opportunities to both develop observing
programs and mine this rich data set for astrophysical results
that are not included within the primary
Kepler Mission. The Kepler Guest Observer Office is
dedicated to the service of the broad science community, with a
commission to promote the exploitation of Kepler data and broaden
the scientific impact of this mission.
» Cycle 2 Announcement of Opportunity released Feb 13, 2009
» Cycle 2 Notice of Intent due Dec 4, 2009
» Cycle 2 proposals due Jan 15, 2010
» Cycle 2 proposal review Mar, 2010
» Cycle 2 duration Jun 2010 − May 2011
Latest Kepler News
»
Kepler mission releases commissioning target data to the public. Browse 8,441 variable stars now! (Nov 6, 2009)
»
The GO Office is seeking a new postdoc (Oct 8, 2009)
»
Sign up for GO news sent direct to your inbox (Oct 6, 2009)