We present revised properties for 196,468 stars observed by the NASA Kepler Mission and used in the analysis of Quarter 1-16 (Q1-Q16) data to detect and characterize transiting planets. The catalog is based on a compilation of literature values for atmospheric properties (temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity) derived from different observational techniques (photometry, spectroscopy, asteroseismology, and exoplanet transits), which were then homogeneously fitted to a grid of Dartmouth stellar isochrones. We use broadband photometry and asteroseismology to characterize 11,532 Kepler targets which were previously unclassified in the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC). We report the detection of oscillations in 2,762 of these targets, classifying them as giant stars and increasing the number of known oscillating giant stars observed by Kepler by ∼ 20% to a total of ∼ 15,500 stars. Typical uncertainties in derived radii and masses are ∼ 40% and ∼ 20%, respectively, for stars with photometric constraints only, and 5 − 15% and ∼ 10% for stars based on spectroscopy and/or asteroseismology, although these uncertainties vary strongly with spectral type and luminosity class. A comparison with the Q1-Q12 catalog shows a systematic decrease in the radii of M dwarfs, while radii for K dwarfs decrease or increase depending on the Q1-Q12 provenance (KIC or Yonsei-Yale isochrones). Radii of F-G dwarfs are on average unchanged, with the exception of newly identified giants. The Q1-Q16 star properties catalog is a first step towards an improved characterization of all Kepler targets to support planet occurrence studies.

The Microvariablity and Oscillations of Stars (MOST ) mission is a low-cost microsatellite designed to detect low-degree acoustic oscillations (periods of minutes) with micromagnitude precision in solartype stars and metal-poor subdwarfs. There are also plans to detect light reflected from giant, short-period, extrasolar planets and the oscillations of roAp stars and the turbulent variability in the dense winds of Wolf-Rayet stars. This paper describes the experiment and how we met the challenge of ultraprecise photometry despite severe constraints on the mass, volume, and power available for the instrument. A side-viewing, 150 mm aperture Rumak-Maksutov telescope feeds two frame-transfer CCDs, one for tracking and the other for science. There is a single 300 nm wide filter centered at 525 nm. Microlenses project Fabry images of the brighter ( ) target V ≤ 10 stars onto the science CCD. Fainter target stars will be focused directly elsewhere on the CCD. MOST was launched on 2003 June 30 into a low-Earth, Sun-synchronous, polar orbit allowing stars between Ϫ19Њ and ϩ36Њ declination to be viewed continuously for up to 60 days. Attitude is controlled by reaction wheels and magnetotorquers. A solar safety shutter over the telescope diagonal is the only other moving part. Accumulated photometry will be used to calibrate response across the target field stop, and data will be compressed and downloaded to three dedicated ground stations.

We have detected transits of the innermost planet "e" orbiting 55 Cnc (V = 6.0), based on two weeks of nearly continuous photometric monitoring with the MOST space telescope. The transits occur with the period (0.74 d) and phase that had been predicted by Dawson & Fabrycky, and with the expected duration and depth for the crossing of a Sun-like star by a hot super-Earth. Assuming the star's mass and radius to be 0.963 +0.051 −0.029 M ⊙ and 0.943 ± 0.010 R ⊙ , the planet's mass, radius, and mean density are 8.63 ± 0.35 M ⊕ , 2.00 ± 0.14 R ⊕ , and 5.9 +1.5 −1.1 g cm −3 . The mean density is comparable to that of Earth, despite the greater mass and consequently greater compression of the interior of 55 Cnc e. This suggests a rock-iron composition supplemented by a significant mass of water, gas, or other light elements. Outside of transits, we detected a sinusoidal signal resembling the expected signal due to the changing illuminated phase of the planet, but with a full range (168 ± 70 ppm) too large to be reflected light or thermal emission. This signal has no straightforward interpretation and should be checked with further observations. The host star of 55 Cnc e is brighter than that of any other known transiting planet, which will facilitate future investigations.

Context. Clear power excess in a frequency range typical for solar-type oscillations in red giants has been detected in more than 1 000 stars, which have been observed during the first 138 days of the science operation of the NASA Kepler satellite. This sample includes stars in a wide mass and radius range with spectral types G and K, extending in luminosity from the bottom of the giant branch up to high-luminous red giants, including the red bump and clump. The high-precision asteroseismic observations with Kepler provide a perfect source for testing stellar structure and evolutionary models, as well as investigating the stellar population in our Galaxy. Aims. We aim to extract accurate seismic parameters from the Kepler time series and use them to infer asteroseismic fundamental parameters from scaling relations and a comparison with red-giant models. Methods. We fit a global model to the observed power density spectra, which allows us to accurately estimate the granulation background signal and the global oscillation parameters, such as the frequency of maximum oscillation power. We find regular patterns of radial and non-radial oscillation modes and use a new technique to automatically identify the mode degree and the characteristic frequency separations between consecutive modes of the same spherical degree. In most cases, we can also measure the small separation between l = 0, 1, and 2 modes. Subsequently, the seismic parameters are used to estimate stellar masses and radii and to place the stars in an H-R diagram by using an extensive grid of stellar models that covers a wide parameter range. Using Bayesian techniques throughout our entire analysis allows us to determine reliable uncertainties for all parameters. Results. We provide accurate seismic parameters and their uncertainties for a large sample of red giants and determine their asteroseismic fundamental parameters. We investigate the influence of the stars' metallicities on their positions in the H-R diagram. Finally, we study the red-giant populations in the red clump and bump and compare them to a synthetic population. We find a mass and metallicity gradient in the red clump and clear evidence of a secondary-clump population.

Aims. Extra-solar planet search programs require high-precision velocity measurements. They need to determine how to differentiate between radial-velocity variations due to Doppler motion and the noise induced by stellar activity. Methods. We monitored the active K2V star HD 189 733 and its transiting planetary companion, which has a 2.2-day orbital period. We used the high-resolution spectograph SOPHIE mounted on the 1.93-m telescope at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence to obtain 55 spectra of HD 189 733 over nearly two months. We refined the HD 189 733b orbit parameters and placed limits on both the eccentricity and long-term velocity gradient. After subtracting the orbital motion of the planet, we compared the variability in spectroscopic activity indices with the evolution in the radial-velocity residuals and the shape of spectral lines.Results. The radial velocity, the spectral-line profile, and the activity indices measured in He i (5875.62 Å), Hα (6562.81 Å), and both of the Ca ii H&K lines (3968.47 Å and 3933.66 Å, respectively) exhibit a periodicity close to the stellar-rotation period and the correlations between them are consistent with a spotted stellar surface in rotation. We used these correlations to correct for the radialvelocity jitter due to stellar activity. This results in achieving high precision in measuring the orbital parameters, with a semi-amplitude K = 200.56 ± 0.88 m s −1 and a derived planet mass of M P = 1.13 ± 0.03 M Jup .