Waiting for the Big Blink Photograph by Mark Thiessen
Planet hunters from the Eastbay Astronomical Society gather at the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California. These serious amateurs choose stars already known to have planets, then "stare at the star waiting for it to blink," as Bruce Skelly (far right) puts it. A blink, or dimming, could indicate that the planet is transiting the starcrossing directly in front of it and blocking a fraction of its light. "Most of us have day jobs, and so we are all a little sleep deprived," he says, adding that they've had little success so far. But a new transit would be a bonanza, yielding clues to the diameter of the planet and even its makeup.
Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds Film Type:Digital, ISO 100 Lens:16-35mm Speed and F-Stop: 15 sec. @ f/5.6
Weather Conditions: Clear Time of Day:Evening Lighting Techniques:Red gelled strobes in domes, three strobes in soft boxes down low on left, right, and center.