Stellar-coronagraph observations of the phase curves of exoplanets

Abstract

Over the two decades that have passed since the discovery of the first extrasolar planet 51 Peg b, almost all of the newly discovered exoplanets have been found either by radial velocity observations or by the transit method. Here we discuss the possibilities for observation of exoplanets and their phase curves by stellar coronagraphy, which has proven effective in experiments.