A Search for Transiting Hot Planets as Small as Neptune in the Open Cluster M37

Abstract

We are conducting a transit survey of the open cluster M37 using the Megacam instrument on the 6.5 m Multiple-Mirror Telescope. We have obtained ~4500 images of this cluster over 18.5 nights and have achieved the precision necessary to detect planets smaller than Saturn. In this presentation we provide an overview of the project, describe the ongoing data reduction/analysis and present some of our preliminary results.

6 pages, 2 figures. To appear in the ASP Conference Series: "Transiting Extrasolar Planets Workshop" MPIA Heidelberg Germany, 25-28 September 2006. Eds: Cristina Afonso, David Weldrake & Thomas Henning