Analyzing light curves to highlight phenomena and trends in planetary systems that house terrestrial exoplanets

Light curves describe the luminosity, or flux, emitted by celestial bodies or systems over a period of time. Since light curves are mostly irregular and may contain spikes and dips caused by extraneous factors, they contain valuable information about various phenomena and trends in the observed planetary system. For instance, light curves often help detect exoplanets in a star’s planetary system. Furthermore, they also help characterize solar flares, cataclysmic variables (CVs), and various other phenomena. This study collects data in the form of light curves from stars in planetary systems housing terrestrial exoplanets found on the NASA Exoplanet Catalog and explored various causes for variations in the planetary system’s light curve. One significant finding from light curve analysis was the possible existence of instrumental noise on the Kepler telescope in quarter 10. However, a larger exoplanet sample size and a real significance test are required for confirmation. This study exemplifies the accessibility and therefore feasibility of gathering data, graphing, and analyzing light curves.