What Photometric Space Telescopes Can Tell Us About Extrasolar Giant Planets

Abstract

Within the next few years three microsatellites with part-per-million photometric capability (MOST, MONS, COROT) will be launched. These space telescopes, which were designed for asteroseismology, as well as other proposed or planned space telescopes to detect Earth-like transiting planets (Kepler and Eddington), will be able to observe the reflected light curves of the close-in extrasolar giant planets (CEGPs). The CEGPs are 0.05 AU from their parent star and are potentially bright in reflected light. For a transiting planet (at any orbital distance) moons and planetary rings may be detected.