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To investigate an exoplanet candidate in NASA’s TESS data, start with a target in the NASA Exoplanet Archive, check its current status and follow-up notes in ExoFOP, then retrieve available observations from the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). Inspect the light curve and, where useful, the image pixels behind it. A transit-like dip is a signal to investigate—not proof that a new planet has been found.
The workflow below shows how to locate a target, get its data, inspect and clean a light curve, and check for reasons a signal could be misleading. You can do it with public data and a browser-based notebook; buying a telescope is not a prerequisite.
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| Route | Best for | What you work with | What it can tell you |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASA Exoplanet Archive | Finding a target and seeing catalog context | TESS Project Candidates table | Candidate context; check ExoFOP for a more current TOI listing |
| ExoFOP-TESS | Checking a target’s current TOI disposition and follow-up context | TOI listing and target workspace | Whether the target is listed as a candidate, false positive, or another disposition |
| MAST light curve | Inspecting an available, precomputed time series | Products such as SAP or PDCSAP light curves | Brightness over time, subject to data quality and interpretation |
| MAST TESSCut | Inspecting full-frame-image pixels when a suitable light curve is unavailable or pixel context matters | A cutout of TESS full-frame images | Pixel-level context and a route to custom light-curve extraction |
| Planet Hunters TESS or Planet Patrol | Participating without building a code workflow | Guided citizen-science activities | Signal-finding or candidate-assessment contributions, respectively |
What counts as a TESS exoplanet candidate?
A TESS Object of Interest (TOI) is a catalog designation for an object of interest, not a synonym for a confirmed planet. The TOI table includes planet candidates, previously known transiting planets, and false positives. Before describing an object, check its current disposition and use the appropriate label.
A candidate is an object with evidence consistent with a planet that still needs vetting or confirmation. A confirmed planet has passed further scrutiny and is listed as confirmed in the relevant records. A transit-like dip in a plotted light curve does not settle the distinction: other explanations, data issues, or a signal from a nearby source may need to be ruled out. The available evidence and status can change, so record where and when you checked it.
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The NASA Exoplanet Archive provides a TESS Project Candidates table for catalog context. Its documentation directs readers to ExoFOP for the most up-to-date TOI list, and notes that the archive’s TOI list is assembled periodically from ExoFOP. The two displays therefore need not be synchronized. Read the NASA Exoplanet Archive’s TESS documentation and check the ExoFOP TOI listing.
How do I find a TOI and check its status?
Use the archive to find a target and establish its catalog context, then use ExoFOP to check its more current listing and follow-up information. Do not infer that every TOI is a new or confirmed planet.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Open the NASA Exoplanet Archive’s TESS Project Candidates table. Search for a target or TOI of interest. Treat the results as an entry point into the catalog, not as a complete analysis of the underlying observations.
- Open the corresponding ExoFOP-TESS record. Search by TOI or TIC identifier. A TIC identifier refers to the target’s entry in the TESS Input Catalog; retain it because it helps connect the catalog entry to observations and files.
- Read the disposition before interpreting the signal. Note whether the record describes a candidate, a false positive, a confirmed planet, or another status. Do not carry an old label forward without checking the live record.
- Record the identifiers and source details. Keep the TOI and TIC identifiers, the disposition, any cited transit parameters, where you found them, and the date and time you checked. If you later share an analysis, readers can see which object and record it refers to.
- Review follow-up notes and known identifications. Check whether the object or signal has already been investigated, and compare it with other candidates and confirmed planets. This helps avoid treating an already known object as a new discovery.
A TOI count is a count of entries in a changing list, not a count of confirmed planets. Avoid quoting a live total unless you have just checked it and clearly label what it counts and when it was observed.
Where can I download TESS light curves?
MAST is the archive for TESS observations and related products. Depending on the target and observation, it may provide precomputed light curves, target pixel files, full-frame images, and data-validation time series. There is no guarantee that every target has every product, so check the sectors, exposure times, and product provenance returned for that target.
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You can search MAST in a browser, use TESSCut to request a cutout from a full-frame image, or retrieve products programmatically. The archive’s available data products and NASA’s beginner tutorials are described in the TESS data-products guide.
Use an available light curve first
A precomputed light curve is often the most direct starting point because it is already a time series of measured brightness. It is a convenient view, not a guarantee that the file is suitable for every question. Check which sectors and exposure times are available, what product produced the file, and whether the observation has gaps or quality issues.
Use TESSCut when pixel context matters
If a suitable precomputed light curve is unavailable, or you need to examine the image around the target, TESSCut can provide pixel cutouts from full-frame images. You then have to make choices about the target aperture and background when extracting a time series. TESS pixels can blend light from multiple sources, so a dip in a custom extraction should be compared with the surrounding image and, when possible, with another extraction or product.
Example: retrieving Pi Mensae data
NASA’s tutorial uses Pi Mensae, TIC 261136679, as a worked example. It shows Lightkurve searches for light curves, target pixel files, and TESSCut data, including:
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import lightkurve as lk
lc_search = lk.search_lightcurve('Pi Mensae')
tpf_search = lk.search_targetpixelfile('Pi Mensae')
tesscut_search = lk.search_tesscut('Pi Mensae')The tutorial then narrows a light-curve search to selected products and exposure time. These calls illustrate the workflow; they are not a guarantee that another target will return the same products, or that the exact syntax will remain current. The tutorial names Lightkurve 2.0.1, so consult the NASA tutorial and current Lightkurve documentation before relying on version-specific instructions. Pi Mensae is an already studied demonstration target, not a claim of a fresh discovery.
How do I inspect and clean a TESS light curve?
Plot the data before changing it, review its quality and gaps, and compare the original flux with any cleaned version. Cleaning and folding can make a pattern easier to see; neither establishes that the signal is planetary.
- Check the time series as delivered. Plot flux against time before flattening, masking, or removing points. Look for gaps, missing values, abrupt changes, noisy intervals, and unusual segments. Keep an untouched view so you can check whether later processing altered the apparent signal.
- Understand the flux product. SAP is the simple aperture photometry flux, which sums brightness within an aperture. PDCSAP applies processing intended to reduce long-term trends. NASA’s worked example compares both and begins with PDCSAP for a cleaner initial view. That does not make every feature in PDCSAP a transit, or mean the less-corrected SAP view is irrelevant; comparing products can help show whether a feature depends on processing.
- Inspect quality information and the aperture. Review quality flags and identify intervals or measurements that may be unreliable. If you are working with pixels, check which pixels contribute to the extraction and whether nearby light sources could affect them.
- Apply cleaning cautiously. NASA’s example demonstrates flattening a light curve to remove trends, masking an identified noisy interval, and removing outliers. Such steps can clarify a signal, but they can also change the appearance of the data. Keep track of each operation and compare the result against the original.
- Fold only with a specified period. Folding places observations from different cycles on a common phase scale. NASA’s demonstration folds at a previously known period; it shows how to inspect a known signal, not how to discover a new orbital period. State the source of any period used rather than presenting a reproduced transit as a newly found planet.
- Bin as a viewing aid, not as proof. Binning can make a repeated pattern easier to inspect by grouping measurements. Keep the unbinned data available: a smoother display is not independent evidence that a dip is real or planetary.
NASA’s tutorial includes examples using Lightkurve methods such as flatten(), fold(), and bin(), along with masking and outlier removal. Its worked steps are useful for learning the mechanics, but the known-period example should not be mistaken for a complete search or validation procedure. See the tutorial’s plots and code alongside the data you retrieve.
How can I tell whether a dip is a planet?
You cannot establish that from the dip alone. Treat it as a signal worth checking against catalog records, available validation products, pixel evidence, and follow-up information.
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- Check whether it is already known. Compare the target and signal with the TOI list, the archive’s candidate context, and records of confirmed planets. Recheck the current ExoFOP disposition before calling it a candidate or confirmed.
- Check the pixels and extraction. A light curve summarizes brightness measured from an aperture; it does not by itself show where all the light came from. With TESSCut or a target pixel file, inspect the area around the target and consider whether blending or aperture choices could affect the signal. If feasible, compare more than one appropriate product or extraction.
- Look for validation material. MAST may provide data-validation time series, and ExoFOP may contain follow-up notes. Availability varies. These products and notes add context; their presence does not mean every question about a target has been resolved.
- Check the measured shape and timing without overstating them. Useful recorded parameters include orbital period, transit midpoint, depth, and duration, with uncertainty and provenance where available. A fitted transit curve can help describe a signal, but a fit to a light curve is not, by itself, proof of planetary origin.
- Keep the claim proportional to the evidence. If the data show a dip but the identity and origin are unresolved, describe a transit-like signal and explain what remains uncertain. Do not call it a confirmed planet merely because a fold or cleaned plot looks persuasive.
The distinction matters for anyone sharing findings. ExoFOP asks users to check for duplicate identifications and requests supporting material, such as an image of a fitted-transit light curve, when submitting a community candidate. Its help page describes publication requirements and distinguishes initial PC and FP dispositions from CP; CP is not an option for a new submission. Seeing a dip is not enough to qualify it for a new community-candidate entry. Read the current ExoFOP-TESS help page before attempting a submission.
Which workflow should I choose?
Choose based on what you need to inspect, not on an assumed accuracy ranking. Catalog browsing, precomputed time series, pixel cutouts, code, and citizen science serve different purposes.
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| Choice | Useful when | Trade-off to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Archive table or ExoFOP | You need catalog context or a current TOI and follow-up view | The archive is useful for browsing; ExoFOP is the more current TOI listing. Their displays may not update at the same time. |
| Precomputed light curve or TESSCut | You want a ready time series, or need control over pixel extraction and image context | A precomputed series is convenient; a cutout lets you scrutinize the pixels but introduces aperture and background choices. |
| SAP or PDCSAP | You are comparing flux products and processing choices | SAP is less corrected; PDCSAP has processing intended to reduce long-term trends. Compare rather than assuming one resolves every issue. |
| Code or citizen science | You want a repeatable custom workflow, or a guided visual-contribution route | Code gives you control over analysis choices; citizen-science projects provide a different route for signal finding or assessment. |
NASA identifies Planet Hunters TESS as a route for finding signals and Planet Patrol as a route for assessing TESS candidates. The Exoplanet Archive is a data resource, not itself a citizen-science project. NASA’s TESS tutorial also offers browser-based Colab execution, which avoids needing a local Python installation for that example. See NASA’s Exoplanet Archive FAQ for citizen-science and data-resource context.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do I need a telescope to analyze TESS data?
No. TESS observations are public through MAST, and the catalog and analysis routes above can be used without owning observing equipment. A telescope is relevant only if you separately choose to collect ground-based follow-up observations.
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NASA Exoplanet Watch also describes routes that do not require a personal telescope, including robotic-telescope data. For readers who choose to collect their own ground-based images, NASA describes a general setup involving a 4-inch-or-larger telescope, tripod, tracking mount, camera, and computer. Its EXOTIC software reduces those ground-based images into a light curve. That is a distinct workflow from downloading TESS observations, and owning this equipment does not guarantee that a particular candidate can be resolved. See NASA’s Exoplanet Watch observing guidance.
What should I do if the data or signal looks wrong?
First check the record and product you are using; then compare the unaltered data, processing choices, and available pixels. A problem in one view is a reason to investigate, not a reason to label the object.
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- The signal appears only after cleaning: Compare the cleaned plot with the original flux and document the flattening, masks, or outlier removal. If the feature is not apparent in the underlying data, do not present the processed view alone as decisive evidence.
- The dip changes between products: Compare SAP and PDCSAP, inspect quality information, and consider whether trends or processing affect the feature. A difference is a reason to examine provenance and processing, not to choose whichever plot supports a preferred conclusion.
- A cutout suggests nearby light sources: Reconsider the aperture and background used for extraction, and compare the resulting time series with available precomputed products. Large TESS pixels can blend sources, so pixel context is material.
- The target already has a disposition or follow-up record: Use the current ExoFOP entry and cite its status and notes. Do not report the target as a fresh candidate without checking for prior identification.
For every analysis you share, preserve the target identifiers, product source, sectors and exposure times, processing steps, and the date you checked the target’s status. That record makes the work easier to reproduce and helps readers distinguish a data display from a vetted claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Google Colab to analyze TESS data?
Yes. NASA’s TESS tutorial offers a browser-based Colab route for its example, so a local Python installation is not required for that walkthrough. The notebook’s commands and product availability should still be checked against current documentation and the target’s returned files.
Can I submit a TESS dip as a new community candidate?
Not on the basis of a dip alone. ExoFOP asks contributors to check for duplicate identifications and provide supporting material, and its help page sets requirements for community-candidate submissions; review those current requirements before submitting.
Can I help search TESS data without writing code?
NASA points to Planet Hunters TESS for finding signals and Planet Patrol for assessing candidates. These are citizen-science routes, distinct from browsing the Exoplanet Archive itself.
Can I help follow up a candidate if I do not own a telescope?
NASA Exoplanet Watch describes robotic-telescope data routes for people without equipment. Its observing guidance also describes personal ground-based observing as a separate option, not a requirement for working with TESS archive data.
