EXOPLANET TRANSITS: MISSIONS

Scroll down to see our Featured Transit Observation!

To find events tailored to your specific location, use the Scientific Events Prediction Page.

To find out if you can observe an exoplanet transit, simply select a row and zoom by scrolling on the map. If you are near any location with a symbol, you are qualified for that scientific mission! If there is not a symbol near your location, you will not be able to observe the event. 

Each symbol has a meaning:

• Blue stars & shading = you can observe the entire event.
• Yellow triangles = you can observe the entire event but you may have temporary tracking difficulty when the star passes almost directly overhead (high altitude).
• Orange diamonds = you may miss the start or end of the event. These observations are still valuable!

You can click on any symbol for precise local observation times, target altitudes, and Sun altitudes.

Reading the Prediction Table:

• The Link automatically populates observing settings into the Unistellar app’s “Exoplanet transits” Science menu.
• Finder is an image of the target field of view. It may be rotated in your sky. 
• Date is the observation start date in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)
• Start, End UTC is the event’s observation start or end time in UTC. Your local start or end time may differ.
• Local is the observation start time in the time zone of your device’s browser.

Featured transit for September 2026:

HD 189733b

Image Credit: NASA Exoplanet Archive

Observe alongside the Pandora mission!

Observation dates: September 12-13

Visibility: North America, South America

Deeplink

HD 189733 b is a hot Jupiter exoplanet located about 64 light-years away. It takes only 2.2 days to orbit its star and is one of the most well-studied exoplanets known! HD 189733 b is also a target of NASA’s Pandora mission, which will study exoplanet atmospheres and their host stars. Pandora will be observing HD 189733 b during this transit, giving the Unistellar Network an exciting opportunity to observe simultaneously from the ground and contribute complementary observations!

HD 189733 b will transit its host star — a K-type star slightly cooler than our Sun — on September 12/13. The transit window occurs during the local night of September 12/13 for observers across North America. The Eastern half of the continent can observe pre-transit to mid-transit, but the Western half can observe the entire transit window. Observers should aim to gather as much pre- and post-transit baseline as possible in addition to the transit itself. See the globe video below to plan your observation!

How you can help support the Pandora mission 

Check the video below or in the tables above to see if this potential planetary transit will be visible to you!

• Once you have planned when you can observe, you must have the right observing settings or use a deeplink. You can use the deeplink below to observe for the entirety of the transit window. Or you can input the row’s recording settings manually to break your observation into one-hour increments by editing the “Duration” setting (this may improve your telescope’s tracking). 
  • Deeplink for full observation 
  • Observing settings: Gain = 30, Cadence = 3970ms, Exp Time = 3970ms, RA = 00h 38m 04s, Dec = +34deg 42′ 41”
• Lastly, when you are done observing for the night, please submit this short REPORT FORM so we know to process your data.

If this is your first time observing an exoplanet transit, first check out our Exoplanet Tutorial page for an overview of the techniques involved. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at citizenscience@unistellaroptics.com.

Above: A video of the globe detailing the visibility of a transit of HD 189733b. When your location is shaded in red, the target is > 25 degrees above the horizon and visible to you.

New here?

Head to our Tutorial page linked below for guidance on how to master your Unistellar telescope and become a Planet Hunter. If you have any questions please contact us at citizenscience@unistellaroptics.com.