SPECtrophotometer for TRansmission Spectroscopy of Exoplanets (SPECTR)

Abstract

Abstract The SPECtrophotometer for TRansmission spectroscopy of exoplanets (SPECTR) is a new low-resolution optical (3800–6850 Å) spectrophotometer installed at the Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory 1.8 m telescope. SPECTR is designed for observing the transmission spectra of transiting exoplanets. Unique features of SPECTR are its long slit length of 10′ which facilitates observing the target and the comparison star simultaneously, and its wide slit width to minimize slit losses. SPECTR will be used to survey exoplanets, such as those identified by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, providing information about their radii across the wavelength range. In this paper, we present the design of SPECTR and the observational results of the partial transit of HD 189733 b and a full transit of Qatar-8 b. Analyses show the SPECTR’s capability on the white light curves with an accuracy of one ppt. The transmission spectrum of HD 189733 b shows general agreement with previous studies.