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MU Cas is a detached eclipsing binary containing two B5 V stars in an orbit of period 9.653 d and eccentricity 0.192, which has been observed in seven sectors using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). We use these new light curves together with published spectroscopic results to measure the physical properties of the component stars, finding masses of 4.67 +/- 0.09 Msun and 4.59 +/- 0.08 Msun, and radii of 4.12 +/- 0.04 Rsun and 3.65 +/- 0.05 Rsun. These values agree with previous results save for a change in which of the two stars is designated the primary component. The measured distance to the system, 1814 +/- 37 pc, is 1.8$\sigma$ shorter than the distance from the Gaia DR3 parallax. A detailed spectroscopic analysis of the system is needed to obtain improved temperature and radial velocity measurements for the component stars; a precise spectroscopic light ratio is also required for better measurement of the stellar radii. MU Cas matches the predictions of theoretical stellar evolutionary models for a solar chemical composition and an age of 87 +/- 5 Myr. No evidence for pulsations was found in the light curves., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 12 pages, 3 tables, 4 colour figures

IQ Per is a totally-eclipsing binary system containing a B8 V star and an A6 V star in an orbit of period 1.744 d with eccentricity and apsidal motion. We use new light curves from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and published spectroscopy from Lacy & Frueh (1985) to measure the physical properties of the component stars, finding masses of 3.516 +/- 0.050 Msun and 1.738 +/- 0.023 Msun, and radii of 2.476 +/- 0.015 Rsun and 1.503 +/- 0.016 Rsun. Our fit to the light curve is imperfect, with a small sinusoidal trend in the residuals versus orbital phase and a slight mismatch in the depth of secondary eclipse, but the total eclipses mean the system is still well-characterised. The distance to the system from its masses, temperatures, apparent magnitudes and bolometric corrections is in agreement with the parallax distance from Gaia DR3. Theoretical models cannot adequately match the measured properties of the system, and new spectroscopy to confirm the temperatures and determine the chemical compositions of the stars would be useful. A Fourier analysis of the residuals of the best fit to the light curve shows many peaks at multiples of the orbital frequency, and one significant peak at 1.33 c/d which is not. This pulsation and the properties of the primary component are consistent with it being a slowly-pulsating B star., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 13 pages, 4 tables, 4 black/white figures

We present a detailed analysis of the detached eclipsing binary system HO Telescopii, which contains two A-type stars in a circular orbit of period 1.613 d. We use light curves from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which observed HO Tel in three sectors, to determine its photometric properties and a precise orbital ephemeris. We augment these results with radial velocity measurements from Surgit et al. to determine the masses and radii of the component stars: M_A = 1.906 +/- 0.031 Msun, M_B = 1.751 +/- 0.034 Msun, R_A = 2.296 +/- 0.027 Rsun and R_B = 2.074 +/- 0.028 Rsun. Combined with temperature measurements from Surgit et al. and optical-infrared apparent magnitudes from the literature, we find a distance to the system of 280.8 +/- 4.6 pc which agrees well with the distance from the Gaia DR3 parallax measurement. Theoretical predictions do not quite match the properties of the system, and there are small discrepancies in measurements of the spectroscopic orbits of the stars. Future observations from Gaia will allow further investigation of these issues., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 12 pages, 5 tables, 3 black/white figures

PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is ESA's M3 mission designed to detect and characterise extrasolar planets and perform asteroseismic monitoring of a large number of stars. PLATO will detect small planets (down to <2 R_(Earth)) around bright stars (<11 mag), including terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. With the complement of radial velocity observations from the ground, planets will be characterised for their radius, mass, and age with high accuracy (5 %, 10 %, 10 % for an Earth-Sun combination respectively). PLATO will provide us with a large-scale catalogue of well-characterised small planets up to intermediate orbital periods, relevant for a meaningful comparison to planet formation theories and to better understand planet evolution. It will make possible comparative exoplanetology to place our Solar System planets in a broader context. In parallel, PLATO will study (host) stars using asteroseismology, allowing us to determine the stellar properties with high accuracy, substantially enhancing our knowledge of stellar structure and evolution. The payload instrument consists of 26 cameras with 12cm aperture each. For at least four years, the mission will perform high-precision photometric measurements. Here we review the science objectives, present PLATO's target samples and fields, provide an overview of expected core science performance as well as a description of the instrument and the mission profile at the beginning of the serial production of the flight cameras. PLATO is scheduled for a launch date end 2026. This overview therefore provides a summary of the mission to the community in preparation of the upcoming operational phases.

V454 Aur is an eclipsing binary system containing two solar-type stars on an orbit of relatively long period (P = 27.02 d) and large eccentricity (e = 0.381). Eclipses were detected using data from the Hipparcos satellite, and a high-quality double-lined spectroscopic orbit has been presented by Griffin (2001). The NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has observed the system during eight sectors, capturing ten eclipses in their entirety. V454 Aur is unusual in that the primary star - the star eclipsed at the deeper minimum - is less massive, smaller \emph{and} cooler than its companion. This phenomenon can occur in certain configurations of eccentric orbits when the stars are closer together at the primary eclipse, causing a larger area to be eclipsed than at the secondary. We use the radial velocity measurements from Griffin and the light curves from TESS to determine the masses and radii of the component stars for the first time, finding masses of 1.034 +/- 0.006 Msun and 1.161 +/- 0.008 Msun, and radii of 0.979 +/- 0.003 Rsun and 1.211 +/- 0.003 Rsun. Our measurement of the distance to the system is consistent with that from the Gaia DR3 parallax. A detailed spectroscopic study to determine chemical abundances and more precise temperatures is encouraged. Finally, we present equations to derive the effective temperatures of the stars from the inferred temperature of the system as a whole, plus the ratio of the radii and either the surface brightness or light ratio of the stars., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory on 2nd April 2024. 14 pages, 4 tables, 3 black/white figures. Version 2 has a slightly revised Note added in Proof

OO Peg is a detached eclipsing binary system containing two late-A-type stars in a circular orbit with a period of 2.985 d. Using published spectroscopic results and a light curve from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) we determine their masses to be 1.69 +/- 0.09 and 1.74 +/- 0.06 Msun, and their radii to be 2.12 +/- 0.03 and 1.91 +/- 0.03 Rsun. The TESS data are of high quality, but discrepancies in the radial velocities from two sources prevent a precise mass measurement. The primary star is definitively hotter, larger and more luminous than its companion, but its mass is lower (albeit to a significance of only 1.1 sigma). Using published apparent magnitudes and temperatures, we find a distance of 238.8 +/- 6.1 pc, in agreement with the Gaia DR3 parallax. Although both components are in the delta Scuti instability strip, we find no evidence of pulsations. More extensive spectroscopy is needed to improve our understanding of the system., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 12 pages, 4 tables, 3 black/white figures

CW Eri is a detached eclipsing binary system of two F-type stars with an orbital period of 2.728 d. Light curves from two sectors of observations with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and previously published radial velocity data are analysed to determine the system's physical properties to high precision. We find the masses of the two stars to be $1.568 \pm 0.016$ Msun and $1.314 \pm 0.010$ Msun, the radii to be $2.105 \pm 0.007$ Rsun and $1.481 \pm 0.005$ Rsun, and the system's orbit to have an eccentricity of $0.0131 \pm 0.0007$. The quality of the TESS photometry allows the definition of a new high-precision orbital ephemeris, however no evidence of pulsation is found. We derive a distance to the system of $191.7\pm 3.8$ pc, a value consistent with the Gaia DR3 parallax which yields a distance of $187.9^{+0.6}_{-0.9}$ pc. The measured parameters of both stellar components are found to be in agreement with theoretical predictions for a solar chemical composition and an age of 1.7 Gyr., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 16 pages, 6 tables, 7 black/white figures

GK Dra is a detached eclipsing binary system containing two early-F stars, one evolved, in an orbit with a period of 9.974 d and a small eccentricity. Its eclipsing nature was discovered using Hipparcos data, and pulsations were found in follow-up ground-based data. Extensive observations have been obtained using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and we use these and published spectroscopy to perform a detailed reanalysis of the system. We determine masses of $1.421 \pm 0.012$ and $1.775 \pm 0.028$ Msun, and radii of $1.634 \pm 0.011$ and $2.859 \pm 0.028$ Rsun. The secondary component is more massive, larger, and slightly cooler than its companion; the eclipses are total. The properties of the system can be matched by theoretical predictions for an age of 1.4 Gyr and a slightly sub-solar metallicity. We measure 15 significant pulsation frequencies in the TESS light curve, of which three are in the frequency domain of $\gamma$ Doradus pulsations and the remaining 12 are $\delta$ Scuti pulsations; the system is thus a hybrid pulsator. The strongest pulsation can be definitively assigned to the secondary star as it has been detected in radial velocities of this object. TESS will observe GK Dra again for ten consecutive sectors in the near future., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 14 pages, 4 tables, 5 black/white figures

New photometry, including TESS data, have been combined with recent spectroscopic observations of the Orion Ib pulsating triple-star system VV Ori. This yields a revised set of absolute parameters with increased precision. Two different programs were utilized for the light curve analysis, with results in predictably close agreement. The agreement promotes confidence in the analysis procedures. The spectra were analysed using the {\sc FDBinary} program. The main parameters are as follows: $M_1 = 11.6 \pm 0.14$ and $M_2 = 4.8 \pm 0.06$ (M$_\odot$). We estimate an approximate mass of the wide companion as $M_3 = 2.0 \pm 0.3$ M$_\odot$. Similarly, $R_{1} = 5.11 \pm 0.03$, $R_2 = 2.51 \pm 0.02$, $R_3 = 1.8 \pm 0.1$ (R$_\odot$); $T_{\rm e 1} = 26600 \pm 300$, $T_{\rm e 2} = 16300 \pm 400$ and $T_{\rm e 3} = 10000 \pm 1000$ (K). The close binary's orbital separation is $a= 13.91$ (R$_\odot$); its age is $8 \pm 2$ (Myr) and its photometric distance is $396 \pm 7$ pc. The primary's $\beta$ Cep type oscillations support these properties and confirm our understanding of its evolutionary status. Examination of the well-defined $\lambda$6678 He I profiles reveals the primary to have a significantly low projected rotation: some 80\% of the synchronous value. This can be explained on the basis of the precession of an unaligned spin axis. This proposal can resolve also observed variations of the apparent inclination and address other longer-term irregularities of the system reported in the literature. This topic invites further observations and follow-up theoretical study of the dynamics of this intriguing young multiple star., Comment: 17 pages, 15 figures, 14 tables, accepted by MNRAS

Stars that are both pulsating and eclipsing offer an important opportunity to better understand many of the physical phenomena that occur in stars, because it is possible to measure the pulsation frequencies of stars for which the masses and radii are known precisely and accurately. KIC 9851944 is a double-lined detached eclipsing binary containing two F-stars which show both pressure and gravity mode pulsations. We present an analysis of new high-resolution spectroscopy of the system and high quality light curves from the Kepler and TESS space missions. We determine the masses and effective temperatures of the stars to 0.6% precision, and their radii to 1.0% and 1.5% precision. The secondary component is cooler, but larger and more massive than the primary so is more evolved; both lie inside the {\delta} Scuti and {\gamma} Doradus instability strips. We measure a total of 133 significant pulsation frequencies in the light curve, including 14 multiplets that each contain between 3 and 19 frequencies. We find evidence for tidal perturbations to some of the p- and g-modes, attribute a subset of the frequencies to either the primary or secondary star, and measure a buoyancy radius and near-core rotational frequency for the primary component. KIC 9851944 is mildly metal-rich and MIST isochrones from the MESA evolutionary code agree well with the observed properties of the system for an age of 1.25 Gyr., Comment: 28 pages, 29 figures

The NASA's Double-Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) was a unique planetary defence and technology test mission, the first of its kind. The main spacecraft of the DART mission impacted the target asteroid Dimorphos, a small moon orbiting asteroid (65803) Didymos, on 2022 September 26. The impact brought up a mass of ejecta which, together with the direct momentum transfer from the collision, caused an orbital period change of 33 +/- 1 minutes, as measured by ground-based observations. We report here the outcome of the optical monitoring campaign of the Didymos system from the Danish 1.54 m telescope at La Silla around the time of impact. The observations contributed to the determination of the changes in the orbital parameters of the Didymos-Dimorphos system, as reported by arXiv:2303.02077, but in this paper we focus on the ejecta produced by the DART impact. We present photometric measurements from which we remove the contribution from the Didymos-Dimorphos system using a H-G photometric model. Using two photometric apertures we determine the fading rate of the ejecta to be 0.115 +/- 0.003 mag/d (in a 2" aperture) and 0.086 +/- 0.003 mag/d (5") over the first week post-impact. After about 8 days post-impact we note the fading slows down to 0.057 +/- 0.003 mag/d (2" aperture) and 0.068 +/- 0.002 mag/d (5"). We include deep-stacked images of the system to illustrate the ejecta evolution during the first 18 days, noting the emergence of dust tails formed from ejecta pushed in the anti-solar direction, and measuring the extent of the particles ejected sunward to be at least 4000 km., Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in The Planetary Science Journal

V1765 Cyg is a detached eclipsing binary containing a B0.5 supergiant and a B1 main-sequence star, with an orbital period of 13.37 d and an eccentricity of 0.315. The system shows apsidal motion and the supergiant exhibits strong stochastic variability. V1765 Cyg was observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite over four sectors. We analyse these data to obtain the first determinate light curve model for the system. To this we add published spectroscopic orbits to infer masses of 23 +/- 2 Msun and 11.9 +/- 0.7 Msun, and radii of 20.6 +/- 0.8 Rsun and 6.2 +/- 0.3 Rsun. These properties are in good agreement with theoretical predictions for a solar chemical composition and an age around 7 Myr. We also present two epochs of blue-optical spectroscopy that confirm the luminosity classification of the primary star and appear to show absorption lines from the secondary star. Extensive spectroscopy and further analysis of the system is recommended., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 17 pages, 3 tables, 9 black/white figures

The Roche potential is the sum of the gravitational and rotational potentials experienced by a massless body rotating alongside two massive bodies in a circular orbit. The Lagrangian points are five stationary points in the Roche potential. The positions of two of the Lagrangian points (L4 and L5) are fixed. The other three (L1, L2 and L3) are along the line joining the two masses: their positions depend on the mass ratio, $q$, and can be calculated numerically by finding the roots of a quintic polynomial. Analytical approximations to their positions are useful in several situations, but existing ones are designed for small mass ratios. We present new approximations valid for all mass ratios from zero to unity: \begin{eqnarray*} x_{\rm L1} & = & 1 - \frac{q^{0.33071}}{0.51233\,q^{0.49128} + 1.487864} \\ x_{\rm L2} & = & 1 + \frac{q^{0.8383} + 2.891\,q^{0.3358}}{1.525\,q^{0.848} + 4.046596} \\ x_{\rm L3} & = & -1 + \frac{q^{1.007}}{1.653\,q^{0.9375} + 1.66308} \end{eqnarray*} in a rotating frame of reference where the more massive body is at $x=0$ and the less massive body at $x=1$. The three approximations are precise to $6 \times 10^{-5}$ for all mass ratios., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 8 pages, 5 black/white figures

V570 Per is a binary star system containing two F-type stars in a 1.90 d period circular orbit. It shows shallow partial eclipses that were discovered from its Hipparcos light curve. We present an analysis of this system based on two sectors of high-quality photometry from the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, and published spectroscopic light ratio and radial velocity measurements. We find masses of 1.449 +/- 0.006 and 1.350 +/- 0.006 Msun, and radii of 1.538 +/- 0.035 and 1.349 +/- 0.032 Rsun. The radius measurements are set by the spectroscopic light ratio and could be improved by obtaining a more precise light ratio. The eclipses in the TESS data arrived 660 +/- 30 s later than expected, suggesting the presence of a faint third body on a wider orbit around the eclipsing system. Small trends in the residuals of the fit to the TESS light curve are attributed to weak starspots. The distance to the system is close to the Gaia DR3 value, but the Gaia spectroscopic orbit is in moderate disagreement with the results from the published ground-based data., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 12 pages, 3 tables, 4 black/white figures

We present an analysis of microlensing event OGLE-2019-BLG-0825. This event was identified as a planetary candidate by preliminary modeling. We find that significant residuals from the best-fit static binary-lens model exist and a xallarap effect can fit the residuals very well and significantly improves $\chi^2$ values. On the other hand, by including the xallarap effect in our models, we find that binary-lens parameters like mass-ratio, $q$, and separation, $s$, cannot be constrained well. However, we also find that the parameters for the source system like the orbital period and semi major axis are consistent between all the models we analyzed. We therefore constrain the properties of the source system better than the properties of the lens system. The source system comprises a G-type main-sequence star orbited by a brown dwarf with a period of $P\sim5$ days. This analysis is the first to demonstrate that the xallarap effect does affect binary-lens parameters in planetary events. It would not be common for the presence or absence of the xallarap effect to affect lens parameters in events with long orbital periods of the source system or events with transits to caustics, but in other cases, such as this event, the xallarap effect can affect binary-lens parameters., Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, 6 tables. Accepted by AJ

IT Cas is a detached eclipsing binary system containing two F3 V stars in an orbit of period 3.90 d and eccentricity 0.089. Light curves are available from three sectors of observations from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and extensive radial velocity measurements have been published by Lacy et al (1997). We model these data using the JKTEBOP code to determine the physical properties of the system. We find masses of 1.324 +/- 0.009 and 1.322 +/- 0.008 Msun, and radii of 1.555 +/- 0.004 and 1.551 +/- 0.005 Rsun. The two stars are identical to within the uncertainties, and the depths of the primary and secondary eclipses are also indistinguishable. Using the effective temperature of 6740 +/- 105 K from Lacy et al. (for both stars) gives a distance to the system of 505.5 +/- 8.3 pc, in good agreement with the value of 515.0 +/- 4.4 pc from the Gaia DR3 parallax. The properties of the stars are consistent with theoretical predictions for a solar chemical composition and an age of 2 Gyr. No pulsations are apparent in the TESS photometry., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 12 pages, 3 tables, 5 black/white figures

We report transmission spectroscopy of the bloated hot Jupiter WASP-74b in the wavelength range from 4000 to 6200 \r{A}. We observe two transit events with the Very Large Telescope FOcal Reducer and Spectrograph (VLT FORS2) and present a new method to measure the exoplanet transit depth as a function of wavelength. The new method removes the need for a reference star in correcting the spectroscopic light curves for the impact of atmospheric extinction. It also provides improved precision, compared to other techniques, reaching an average transit depth uncertainty of 211 ppm for a solar-type star of V=9.8 mag and over wavelength bins of 80 \r{A}. The VLT transmission spectrum is analysed both individually and in combination with published data from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Spitzer. The spectrum is found to exhibit a mostly featureless slope and equilibrium chemistry retrievals with PLATON favour hazes in the upper atmosphere of the exoplanet. Free chemistry retrievals with AURA further support the presence of hazes. While additional constraints are possible depending on the choice of atmospheric model, they are not robust and may be influenced by residual systematics in the data sets. Our results demonstrate the utility of new techniques in the analysis of optical, ground-based spectroscopic data and can be highly complementary to follow-up observations in the infrared with JWST., Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRAS

We announce the discovery of pulsations in HD 23642, the only bright eclipsing system in the Pleiades, based on light curves from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). We measure 46 pulsation frequencies and attribute them to delta Scuti pulsations in the secondary component. We find four l=1 doublets, three of which have frequency splittings consistent with the rotation rate of the star. The dipole mode amplitude ratios are consistent with a high stellar inclination angle and the stellar rotation period agrees with the orbital period. Together, these suggest that the spin axis of the secondary is aligned with the orbital axis. We also determine precise effective temperatures and a spectroscopic light ratio, and use the latter to determine the physical properties of the system alongside the TESS data and published radial velocities. We measure a distance to the system in agreement with the Gaia parallax, and an age of 170 +/- 20 Myr based on a comparison to theoretical stellar evolutionary models., Comment: Accepted for publication as a Letter in MNRAS. 6 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables

Limb darkening (LD) is typically parameterised using a range of functional "laws" in models of the light curves of eclipsing binary and transiting planetary systems. The two-coefficient LD laws all suffer from a strong correlation between their coefficients, preventing a reliable determination of both coefficients from high-quality light curves. We use numerical simulations to propose re-parameterisations of the quadratic, logarithmic, square-root and cubic LD laws that show much weaker correlations, and implement them into the JKTEBOP code. We recommend that these re-parameterisations are used whenever both LD coefficients are fitted. Conversely, when fitting for only one coefficient, the standard laws should be used to avoid problems with fixing coefficients at poor values. We find that these choices have little effect on the other fitted parameters of a light curve model. We also recommend that the power-2 LD law should be used as default because it provides a good fit to theoretical predictions, and that the quadratic and linear laws should be avoided because they do not., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 14 pages, 4 tables, 4 black/white figures

ZZ Boo is an F-type detached eclipsing binary system containing two almost-identical stars on a circular orbit with a period of 4.992 d. We analyse light curves from two sectors of observations with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and two published sets of radial velocities of the component stars to determine their physical properties to high precision. We find masses of 1.558 +/- 0.008 Msun and 1.599 +/- 0.012 Msun, and radii of 2.063 +/- 0.006 Rsun and 2.205 +/- 0.006 Rsun. The similarity in the primary and secondary eclipse depths has led to confusion in the past. The high quality of the TESS data means we can, for the first time, clearly identify which is which. The primary star is conclusively hotter but smaller and less massive than the secondary star. We define a new high-precision orbital ephemeris and obtain effective temperatures using the Gaia parallax of the system. The secondary star is more evolved than the primary and a good agreement with theoretical predictions is found for a solar chemical composition and an age of 1.7 Gyr., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 16 pages, 5 tables, 8 black/white figures

ZZ UMa is a detached eclipsing binary with an orbital period of 2.299 d that shows total eclipses and starspot activity. We used five sectors of light curves from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and two published sets of radial velocities to establish the properties of the system to high precision. The primary star has a mass of 1.135 +/- 0.009 Msun and a radius of 1.437 +/- 0.007 Rsun, whilst the secondary component has a mass of 0.965 +/- 0.005 Msun and a radius of 1.075 +/- 0.005 Rsun. The properties of the primary star agree with theoretical predictions for a slightly super-solar metallicity and an age of 5.5 Gyr. The properties of the secondary star disagree with these and all other model predictions: whilst the luminosity is in good agreement with models the radius is too large and the temperature is too low. These are the defining characteristics of the radius discrepancy which has been known for 40 years but remains an active area of research. Starspot activity is evident in the out-of-eclipse portions of the light curve, in systematic changes in the eclipse depths, and in emission at the Ca H and K lines in a medium-resolution spectrum of the system. Over the course of the TESS observations the light and surface brightness ratios between the stars change linearly by 20% and 14%, respectively, but the geometric parameters do not. Studies of objects showing spot activity should account for this by using observations over long time periods where possible, and by concentrating on totally-eclipsing systems whose light curves allow more robust measurements of the physical properties of the system., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 19 pages, 5 tables, 10 black/white figures. Version 2 has an important typo fixed

We present and analyze 58 transit light curves of TrES-3b and 98 transit light curves of Qatar-1b observed by Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), plus two transit light curves of Qatar-1b observed by us using a ground-based 1.23\,m telescope. These light curves are combined with the best-quality light curves taken from the Exoplanet Transit Database (ETD) and literature. The precisely determined mid-transit times from these light curves enable us to obtain the refined orbital ephemerides with improved precision for both hot Jupiters. From the timing analysis, we find an indication for the presence of transit timing variations (TTVs) in both systems. Since the observed TTVs are unlikely to be short-term and periodic, the possibility of additional planets in the orbits close to TrES-3b and Qatar-1b are ruled out. Possible causes of long-term TTVs such as orbital decay, apsidal precession, the Applegate mechanism and line-of-sight acceleration are also examined. However, none of these possibilities are found to explain the observed TTV of TrES-3b. In contrast to this, the line-of-sight acceleration appears to be a plausible explanation for the observed TTV of Qatar-1b. In order to confirm these findings, further high-precision transit and RV observations of both systems would be worthwhile., Comment: 38 pages, 16 figures, 8 tables, accepted for publication in AJ

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a key chemical species that is found in a wide range of planetary atmospheres. In the context of exoplanets, CO2 is an indicator of the metal enrichment (i.e., elements heavier than helium, also called "metallicity"), and thus formation processes of the primary atmospheres of hot gas giants. It is also one of the most promising species to detect in the secondary atmospheres of terrestrial exoplanets. Previous photometric measurements of transiting planets with the Spitzer Space Telescope have given hints of the presence of CO2 but have not yielded definitive detections due to the lack of unambiguous spectroscopic identification. Here we present the detection of CO2 in the atmosphere of the gas giant exoplanet WASP-39b from transmission spectroscopy observations obtained with JWST as part of the Early Release Science Program (ERS). The data used in this study span 3.0 to 5.5 {\mu}m in wavelength and show a prominent CO2 absorption feature at 4.3 {\mu}m (26{\sigma} significance). The overall spectrum is well matched by one-dimensional, 10x solar metallicity models that assume radiative-convective-thermochemical equilibrium and have moderate cloud opacity. These models predict that the atmosphere should have water, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide in addition to CO2, but little methane. Furthermore, we also tentatively detect a small absorption feature near 4.0 {\mu}m that is not reproduced by these models., Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Nature, data and models available at https://doi.10.5281/zenodo.6959427

M-dwarfs are the most abundant stars in the galaxy and popular targets for exoplanet searches. However, their intrinsic faintness and complex spectra inhibit precise characterisation. We only know of dozens of M-dwarfs with fundamental parameters of mass, radius and effective temperature characterised to better than a few per cent. Eclipsing binaries remain the most robust means of stellar characterisation. Here we present two targets from the Eclipsing Binary Low Mass (EBLM) survey that were observed with K2: EBLM J0055-00 and EBLM J2217-04. Combined with HARPS and CORALIE spectroscopy, we measure M-dwarf masses with precisions better than 5%, radii better than 3% and effective temperatures on order 1%. However, our fits require invoking a model to derive parameters for the primary star. By investigating three popular models, we determine that the model uncertainty is of similar magnitude to the statistical uncertainty in the model fits. Therefore, whilst these can be considered benchmark M-dwarfs, we caution the community to consider model uncertainty when pushing the limits of precise stellar characterisation., Comment: 13 Pages, MNRAS accepted

The study of pulsating stars in eclipsing binaries holds the promise of combining two different ways of measuring the physical properties of a star to obtain improved constraints on stellar theory. Gravity (g) mode pulsations such as those found in $\gamma$ Doradus stars can be used to probe rotational profiles, mixing and magnetic fields. Until recently few $\gamma$ Doradus stars in eclipsing binaries were known. We have discovered g-mode pulsations in four detached eclipsing binary systems from light curves obtained by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and present an analysis of their eclipses and pulsational characteristics. We find unresolved g-mode pulsations at frequencies 1--1.5 d$^{-1}$ in CM Lac, and measure the masses and radii of the component stars from the TESS data and published radial velocities. MZ Lac shows a much richer frequency spectrum, including pressure modes and tidally-excited g-modes. RX Dra is in the northern continuous viewing zone of TESS so has a light curve covering a full year, but shows relatively few pulsation frequencies. For V2077 Cyg we formally measure four pulsation frequencies, but the available data are inadequate to properly resolve the g-mode pulsations. V2077 Cyg also shows total eclipses, with which we obtain the first measurement of the surface gravity of the faint secondary star. All four systems are bright and good candidates for detailed study. Further TESS observations are scheduled for all four systems, with much improved temporal baselines in the cases of RX Dra and V2077 Cyg., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 11 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables. This is the authors' version of the accepted manuscript

TRAPPIST-1 is an ultra-cool dwarf that hosts seven known transiting planets. We present photometry of the system obtained using three telescopes at ESO La Silla (the Danish 1.54-m telescope and the 2.2-m MPI telescope) and Paranal (Unit Telescope 1 of the Very Large Telescope). We obtained 18 light curves from the Danish telescope, eight from the 2.2-m and four from the VLT. From these we measure 25 times of mid-transit for four of the planets (b, c, f, g). These light curves and times of mid-transit will be useful in determining the masses and radii of the planets, which show variations in their transit times due to gravitational interactions., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory Magazine. 11 pages, 3 tables, 3 figures. Version 2 is corrected for the misidentification of the planet causing one of the transits

HATS-18b is a transiting planet with a large mass and a short orbital period, and is one of the best candidates for the detection of orbital decay induced by tidal effects. We present extensive photometry of HATS-18 from which we measure 27 times of mid-transit. Two further transit times were measured from data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and three more taken from the literature. The transit timings were fitted with linear and quadratic ephemerides and an upper limit on orbital decay was determined. This corresponds to a lower limit on the modified stellar tidal quality factor of $Q_\star^{\,\prime} > 10^{5.11 \pm 0.04}$. This is at the cusp of constraining the presence of enhanced tidal dissipation due to internal gravity waves. We also refine the measured physical properties of the HATS-18 system, place upper limits on the masses of third bodies, and compare the relative performance of TESS and the 1.54-m Danish Telescope in measuring transit times for this system., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 12 pages, 4 tables, 6 figures. This is the authors' version of the accepted paper

Between 2010 and 2017 we have collected new optical and radar observations of the potentially hazardous asteroid (2102)~Tantalus from the ESO NTT and Danish telescopes at the La Silla Observatory and from the Arecibo planetary radar. The object appears to be nearly spherical, showing a low amplitude light-curve variation and limited large-scale features in the radar images. The spin-state is difficult to constrain with the available data; including a certain light-curve subset significantly changes the spin-state estimates, and the uncertainties on period determination are significant. Constraining any change in rotation rate was not possible, despite decades of observations. The convex lightcurve-inversion model, with rotational pole at ${\lambda}=210{\pm}41${\deg} and ${\beta}=-30{\pm}35${\deg}, is more flattened than the two models reconstructed by including radar observations: with prograde (${\lambda}=36{\pm}23${\deg}, ${\beta}=30{\pm}15${\deg}), and with retrograde rotation mode (${\lambda}=180{\pm}24${\deg}, ${\beta}=-30{\pm}16${\deg}). Using data from WISE we were able to determine that the prograde model produces the best agreement in size determination between radar and thermophysical modelling. Radar measurements indicate possible variation in surface properties, suggesting one side might have lower radar albedo and be rougher at centimetre-to-decimetre scale than the other. However, further observations are needed to confirm this. Thermophysical analysis indicates a surface covered in fine-grained regolith, consistent with radar albedo and polarisation ratio measurements. Finally, geophysical investigation of the spin-stability of Tantalus shows that it could be exceeding its critical spin-rate via cohesive forces., Comment: Main paper: 14 pages and 12 figure, Appendix: 13 pages and 12 figues

V1388 Ori is an early-B type detached eclipsing binary whose physical properties have previously been measured from dedicated spectroscopy and a ground-based survey light curve. We reconsider the properties of the system using newly-available light curves from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). We discover two frequencies in the system, at 2.99 d$^{-1}$ and 4.00 d$^{-1}$ which are probably due to beta Cephei or slowly-pulsating B-star pulsations. A large number of additional significant frequencies exist at multiples of the orbital frequency, 0.4572 d$^{-1}$. We are not able to find a fully satisfactory model of the eclipses, but the best attempts show highly consistent values for the fitted parameters. We find masses of 7.24 +/- 0.08 Msun and 5.03 +/- 0.04 Msun, and radii of 5.30 +/- 0.07 Rsun and 3.14 +/- 0.06 Rsun. The properties of the system are in good agreement with the predictions of theoretical stellar evolutionary models and the Gaia EDR3 parallax if the published temperature estimates are revised downwards by 1500 K, to 19000 K for the larger and more massive star and 17000 K for its companion., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 15 pages, 5 black and white figures, 3 tables

KIC 5359678 is a 6.231-d period F-type eclipsing binary system whose component stars both show starspot activity. It was observed by the Kepler satellite in long cadence for the full four-year duration of the mission. Wang et al (2021) obtained radial velocity measurements of the two stars and analysed these plus the Kepler data to study their spot activity and measure their physical properties, but left several questions unanswered. We have performed an independent analysis and determined the masses (1.252 +/- 0.018 and 1.065 +/- 0.013 Msun) and radii (1.449 +/- 0.012 and 1.048 +/- 0.017 Rsun) of the stars to high precision. The distance we find to the system is slightly shorter than that from Gaia EDR3 for unknown reason(s). We also investigated the precision of the numerical integration applied to the model light curve to match the 1765-s sampling cadence of the Kepler observations. We found that ignoring this temporal smearing leads to biased radius measurements for the stars: that for the primary is too small by 4 sigma and that for the secondary is too large by 10 sigma. Doubling the sampling rate of the model light curve is sufficient to remove most of this bias, but for precise results a minimum of five samples per observed datapoint is required., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 12 pages, 5 black and white figures, 3 tables

Pulsations and binarity are both common features of massive stars. The study of pulsating massive stars in eclipsing binary systems hold great potential for constraining stellar structure and evolution theory. However, prior to the all-sky Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, few such systems had been discovered or studied in detail. We have inspected the TESS light curves of a large number of eclipsing binaries known to contain high-mass stars, and compiled a list of 18 objects which show intrinsic variability. The light curves were modelled both to determine the physical properties of the systems, and to remove the effects of binarity in order to leave residual light curves suitable for asteroseismic analysis. Precise mass and radius measurements were obtained for delta Cir, CC Cas, SZ Cam, V436 Per and V539 Ara. We searched the residual light curves for pulsation signatures and, within our sample of 18 objects, we find six definite and eight possible cases of beta Cephei pulsation, seven cases of stochastic low-frequency (SLF) variability, and eight instances of possible slowly pulsating B (SPB) star pulsation. The large number of pulsating eclipsing systems we have identified makes asteroseismology of high-mass stars in eclipsing binaries a feasible avenue to constrain the interior physics of a large sample of massive stars for the first time., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 19 pages, 6 colour figures, 5 tables. Appendix not included but available from first author on request

We report the first unambiguous detection and mass measurement of an isolated stellar-mass black hole (BH). We used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to carry out precise astrometry of the source star of the long-duration (t_E~270 days), high-magnification microlensing event MOA-2011-BLG-191/OGLE-2011-BLG-0462 (hereafter designated as MOA-11-191/OGLE-11-462), in the direction of the Galactic bulge. HST imaging, conducted at eight epochs over an interval of six years, reveals a clear relativistic astrometric deflection of the background star's apparent position. Ground-based photometry of MOA-11-191/OGLE-11-462 shows a parallactic signature of the effect of the Earth's motion on the microlensing light curve. Combining the HST astrometry with the ground-based light curve and the derived parallax, we obtain a lens mass of 7.1 +/- 1.3 Msun and a distance of 1.58 +/- 0.18 kpc. We show that the lens emits no detectable light, which, along with having a mass higher than is possible for a white dwarf or neutron star, confirms its BH nature. Our analysis also provides an absolute proper motion for the BH. The proper motion is offset from the mean motion of Galactic-disk stars at similar distances by an amount corresponding to a transverse space velocity of ~45 km/s, suggesting that the BH received a 'natal kick' from its supernova explosion. Previous mass determinations for stellar-mass BHs have come from radial-velocity measurements of Galactic X-ray binaries, and from gravitational radiation emitted by merging BHs in binary systems in external galaxies. Our mass measurement is the first for an isolated stellar-mass BH using any technique., Comment: 37 pages, Published in ApJ

A transiting planetary system was discovered independently by two groups, under the names WASP-86 (Faedi et al. 2016) and KELT-12 (Stevens et al. 2017). The properties of the system determined in these works were very different, most tellingly a variation of a factor of three in the measured radius of the planet. We suggest that the system be named WASP-86/KELT-12 to better apportion the credit for discovery between the two groups. We analyse the light curve of this system from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, which observed it in two sectors, following the Homogeneous Studies approach. We find properties intermediate between the two previous studies: the star has a mass of 1.278 +/- 0.039 Msun and a radius of 2.02 +/- 0.12 Rsun, and the planet has a mass of 0.833 +/- 0.049 Mjup and a radius of 1.382 +/- 0.089 Rjup. The discrepancy in the two previous sets of measured properties of the system arises from a disagreement over the transit depth and duration, caused by the transit being long and shallow so not well suited to follow-up photometry from ground-based telescopes. We also update the orbital ephemeris to aid future work on this system, which is a good candidate for characterising the atmosphere of a planet through transmission spectroscopy., Comment: Accepted for publication in the February 2022 edition of The Observatory. 11 pages, 4 black and white figures, 3 tables

V498 Cyg is an early-B-type binary known to show eclipses on a period of 3.48 d, and two sets of spectral lines. We present the discovery of a second set of eclipses, on a 1.44-d period, in the light curve of this object from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). We develop a model of the light curve to simultaneously fit the properties of both eclipsing binaries and apply this to the TESS observations. We are able to fit the light curve of the fainter system well, but the light curve fit for the brighter system is unable to reproduce either its asymmetric primary eclipse or its changing light curve shape. The available eclipse timing measurements are extremely scattered so we determine orbital ephemerides based only on the TESS data. We infer the physical properties of all four stars, estimating the masses of the components of the brighter binary to be 10 Msun and 11 Msun, and of the fainter binary to be 6.5 Msun and 3.5 Msun. The properties of the system may be reliably determined in future by obtaining radial velocity measurements of the component stars., Comment: Accepted for publication in the April 2022 edition of The Observatory. 16 pages, 7 black and white figures, 5 tables

Binary stars are crucial laboratories for stellar physics, so have been photometric targets for space missions beginning with the very first orbiting telescope (OAO-2) launched in 1968. This review traces the binary stars observed and the scientific results obtained from the early days of ultraviolet missions (OAO-2, Voyager, ANS, IUE), through a period of diversification (Hipparcos, WIRE, MOST, BRITE), to the current era of large planetary transit surveys (CoRoT, Kepler, TESS). In this time observations have been obtained of detached, semi-detached and contact binaries containing dwarfs, sub-giants, giants, supergiants, white dwarfs, planets, neutron stars and accretion discs. Recent missions have found a huge variety of objects such as pulsating stars in eclipsing binaries, multi-eclipsers, heartbeat stars and binaries hosting transiting planets. Particular attention is paid to eclipsing binaries, because they are staggeringly useful, and to the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) because its huge sky coverage enables a wide range of scientific investigations with unprecedented ease. These results are placed into context, future missions are discussed, and a list of important science goals is presented., Comment: Invited review article accepted for publication in the journal Universe, special issue "Variable Stars as Seen with Photometric Space Telescopes" (eds. L. Szabados and N. N. Samus). 3q pages plus 13 pages of references, one table, 12 colour figures

RR Lyn is a detached eclipsing binary with a 9.95 d orbit containing two A-stars: one metallic-lined and one possibly metal-poor. We use the light curve from the TESS satellite and two sets of published radial velocity measurements to determine the properties of the system to high precision. We find masses of 1.939 +/- 0.007 and 1.510 +/- 0.003 Msun, and radii of 2.564 +/- 0.019 and 1.613 +/- 0.013 Rsun. After adjusting published effective temperatures upwards by 200 K we find a good agreement with theoretical models for a solar chemical composition and an age of 1 Gyr, and a distance slightly shorter than expected from the Gaia EDR3 parallax. The light curve of RR Lyn shows clear evidence for pulsations. We measure 35 pulsation frequencies and attribute the higher frequencies to delta Scuti-type pulsations, and the intermediate frequencies to gamma Doradus-type pulsations (some of which may be tidally perturbed). The lower frequencies may be tidally excited pulsations in RR Lyn or alternatively of instrumental origin. Most or all of these pulsations are likely to arise in the secondary star. RR Lyn is one of the few eclipsing binaries known to have well-established properties and to exhibit multiple types of pulsations., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 16 pages, 6 black and white figures, 4 tables

We present ground-based optical transmission spectroscopy of the low-density hot Jupiter WASP-88b covering the wavelength range 4413-8333 {\AA} with the FORS2 spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope. The FORS2 white light curves exhibit a significant time-correlated noise which we model using a Gaussian Process and remove as a wavelength-independent component from the spectroscopic light curves. We analyse complementary photometric observations from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and refine the system properties and ephemeris. We find a featureless transmission spectrum with increased absorption towards shorter wavelengths. We perform an atmospheric retrieval analysis with the AURA code, finding tentative evidence for haze in the upper atmospheric layers and a lower likelihood for a dense cloud deck. Whilst our retrieval analysis results point toward clouds and hazes, further evidence is needed to definitively reject a clear-sky scenario., Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRAS

V505 Per is a detached eclipsing binary containing two F5 V stars in a 4.22-d circular orbit. We use a light curve from the TESS satellite and published radial velocity measurements to establish the properties of the system to high precision. The masses of the stars are 1.275 +/- 0.004 Msun and 1.258 +/- 0.003 Msun, and their radii are 1.294 +/- 0.002 Rsun and 1.264 +/- 0.002 Rsun. Adding published effective temperature estimates, we precisely measure the luminosities and absolute bolometric magnitudes of the stars, and the distance to the system. The distance is slightly shorter than that obtained from the Gaia EDR3 parallax, a discrepancy most easily explained by uncertainty in the 2MASS K-band apparent magnitude. We reanalyse existing light and radial velocity curves from three previous studies of this system and conclude that, in this case, formal errors are reliable for the spectroscopic orbits but not light curves, that errorbars from a residual-permutation algorithm are suitable for light curves but not spectroscopic orbits, and that published results are not always reproducible. The precisions in the measured properties of V505 Per are high and among the best ever obtained for a detached eclipsing binary system., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 13 pages, 3 black and white figures, 5 tables

V455 Aur is a detached eclipsing binary containing two F-stars in a 3.15-d orbit with a small eccentricity. Its eclipses were discovered in data from the Hipparcos satellite and a spectroscopic orbit was obtained by Griffin (2001, 2013). Griffin found a long-term variation of the systemic velocity of the eclipsing system due to a third body in a highly eccentric orbit (e = 0.73) with a period of 4200 d. We have used these data, the light curve of V455 Aur from the TESS satellite, and the Gaia EDR3 parallax to determine the physical properties of the components of the system to high precision. We find the eclipsing stars to have masses of 1.289 +/- 0.006 Msun and 1.232 +/- 0.005 Msun, radii of 1.389 +/- 0.011 Rsun and 1.318 +/- 0.014 Rsun and effective temperatures of 6500 +/- 200 and 6400 +/- 200 K. Light from the tertiary component is directly detected for the first time, in the form of a third light of l_3 = 0.028 +/- 0.002 in the solution of the TESS light curve. From this l_3, theoretical spectra and empirical calibrations we estimate the star to have a mass of 0.72 +/- 0.05 Msun, a radius of 0.74 +/- 0.05 Rsun and a temperature of 4300 +/- 300 K. The inclination of the outer orbit is 53 +/- 3 degrees, so the two orbits in the system are not coplanar. We show that a measured spectroscopic light ratio of the two eclipsing stars could lower the uncertainties in radius from 1% to 0.25%. A detailed spectroscopic analysis could also yield precise temperatures and chemical abundances of the system, thus making V455 Aur one of the most precisely measured eclipsing systems known., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 15 pages, 6 black and white figures, 3 tables

AN Cam is a little-studied eclipsing binary containing somewhat evolved components in an orbit with a period of 21.0 d and an eccentricity of 0.47. A spectroscopic orbit based on photoelectric radial velocities was published in 1977. AN Cam has been observed using the TESS satellite in three sectors: the data were obtained in long-cadence mode and cover nine eclipses. By modelling these data and published radial velocities we obtain masses of 1.380 +/- 0.021 Msun and 1.402 +/- 0.025 Msun, and radii of 2.159 +/- 0.012 Rsun and 2.646 +/- 0.014 Rsun. We also derive a precise orbital ephemeris from these data and recent times of minimum light, but find that the older times of minimum light cannot be fitted assuming a constant orbital period. This could be caused by astrophysical or instrumental effects; forthcoming TESS observations will help the investigation of this issue. We use the Gaia EDR3 parallax and optical/infrared apparent magnitudes to measure effective temperatures of 6050 +/- 150 K and 5750 +/- 150 K: the primary star is hotter but smaller and less massive than its companion. A comparison with theoretical models indicates that the system has an approximately solar chemical composition and an age of 3.3 Gyr. Despite the similarity of their masses the two stars are in different evolutionary states: the primary is near the end of its main-sequence lifetime and the secondary is now a subgiant. AN Cam is a promising candidate for constraining the strength of convective core overshooting in 1.4 Msun stars., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 14 pages, 5 black and white figures, 4 tables

V1022 Cas has been known as a spectroscopic binary for a century. It was found to be eclipsing based on photometry from the Hipparcos satellite, and an astrometric orbit was recently obtained from near-infrared interferometry. We present the first high-precision measurement of the radii of the stars based on light curves obtained by the TESS satellite. Combined with published radial velocities from high-resolution spectra, we measure the masses of the stars to be 1.626 +/- 0.001 Msun and 1.609 +/- 0.001 Msun, and the radii to be 2.591 +/- 0.026 Rsun and 2.472 +/- 0.027 Rsun. The 12.16-d orbit is eccentric and the stars rotate sub-synchronously, so the system is tidally unevolved. A good match to these masses and radii, and published temperatures of the stars, is found for several sets of theoretical stellar evolutionary models, for a solar metallicity and an age of approximately 2 Gyr. Four separate distance determinations to the system are available, and are in good agreement. The distances are based on surface brightness calibrations, theoretical bolometric corrections, the Gaia parallax, and the angular size of the astrometric orbit. A detailed spectroscopic analysis of the system to measure chemical abundances and more precise temperatures would be helpful., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 13 pages, 4 black and white figures, 3 tables. Version 2: added arXiv designations of Papers 1 and 2, and replaced all files after it was noticed that the first lot no longer compiled in the arXiv system

KX Cancri is an eclipsing binary containing two G-type stars with an orbital period of 31.2 d and an eccentricity of 0.47. These qualities make it a promising candidate for a benchmark solar-type binary system. We analyse the first light curve of this system to have complete coverage of both primary and secondary eclipses, obtained using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). We augment these data with published radial velocities and measure the masses to be 1.134 +/- 0.003 Msun and 1.124 +/- 0.005 Msun and the radii to be 1.053 +/- 0.006 Rsun and 1.059 +/- 0.005 Rsun. A ratio of the radii near unity is strongly preferred by the TESS data, in contrast to existing ground-based light curves. The distance to the system measured from the radii and Teff values of the stars agrees well with the trigonometric parallax from the Gaia satellite. The properties of the system are consistent with theoretical predictions for a super-solar metallicity and an age of 1.0 to 1.5 Gyr. A detailed analysis of the photospheric properties of the stars based on high-resolution spectra is encouraged., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 11 pages, 5 black and white figures, 3 tables. Version 2: corrected Teff of star B and added arXiv designation of Paper 1

$\zeta$ Phoenicis is a bright binary system containing B6V and B8V stars. It has deep total and annular eclipses, a slightly eccentric orbit with a period of 1.669 d, apsidal motion and a third body on a wider orbit. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite light curve and published radial velocities of this system are analysed to determine masses of 3.91 +/- 0.06 Msun and 2.54 +/- 0.03 Msun and radii of 2.84 +/- 0.02 Rsun and 1.89 +/- 0.01 Rsun. The resulting distance to the system is in agreement with its trigonometric parallax. The physical properties of the stars, with the exception of the effective temperature of the secondary component, can be matched by the predictions of several sets of theoretical stellar evolutionary models for a solar chemical composition and an age of 70 to 90 Myr. A spectroscopic analysis of this system is encouraged for the determination of the photospheric chemical composition of the stars, plus improved measurements of their masses and effective temperatures., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Observatory. 17 pages, 4 black/white figures, 1 table. Version 2: final month of publication added

We present an analysis of the high-mass eclipsing binary system VV Ori based on photometry from the TESS satellite. The primary star (B1V, 9.5 Msun) shows beta Cephei pulsations and the secondary (B7V, 3.8 Msun) is possibly a slowly-pulsating B star. We detect 51 significant oscillation frequencies, including two multiplets with separations equal to the orbital frequency, indicating that the pulsations are tidally perturbed. We analyse the TESS light curve and published radial velocities to determine the physical properties of the system. Both stars are only the second of their pulsation type with a precisely-measured mass. The orbital inclination is also currently decreasing, likely due to gravitational interactions with a third body., Comment: Accepted for publication as a Letter in MNRAS. 5 pages, 3 colour figures, 1 table

WASP-98 is a planetary system containing a hot Jupiter transiting a late-G dwarf. A fainter star 12 arcsec distant has previously been identified as a white dwarf, with a distance and proper motion consistent with a physical association with the planetary system. We present spectroscopy of the white dwarf, with the aim of determining its mass, radius and temperature and hence the age of the system. However, the spectra show the featureless continuum and lack of spectral lines characteristic of the DC class of white dwarfs. We therefore fitted theoretical white dwarf spectra to the ugriz apparent magnitudes and Gaia DR2 parallax of this object in order to determine its physical properties and the age of the system. We find that the system is old, with a lower limit of 3.6 Gyr, but theoretical uncertainties preclude a precise determination of its age. Its kinematics are consistent with membership of the thick disc, but do not allow us to rule out the thin-disc alternative. The old age and low metallicity of the system suggest it is subject to an age-metallicity relation, but analysis of the most metal-rich and metal-poor transiting planetary systems yields only insubstantial evidence of this. We conclude that the study of bound white dwarfs can yield independent ages to planetary systems, but such analysis may be better-suited to DA and DB rather than DC white dwarfs., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 7 pages, 1 table, 5 colour figures

Even though tens of directly imaged companions have been discovered in the past decades, the number of directly confirmed multiplanet systems is still small. Dynamical analysis of these systems imposes important constraints on formation mechanisms of these wide-orbit companions. As part of the Young Suns Exoplanet Survey (YSES) we report the detection of a second planetary-mass companion around the 17 Myr-old, solar-type star TYC 8998-760-1 that is located in the Lower Centaurus Crux subgroup of the Scorpius-Centaurus association. The companion has a projected physical separation of 320 au and several individual photometric measurements from 1.1 to 3.8 microns constrain a companion mass of $6\pm1\,M_\mathrm{Jup}$, which is equivalent to a mass ratio of $q=0.57\pm0.10\%$ with respect to the primary. With the previously detected $14\pm3\,M_\mathrm{Jup}$ companion that is orbiting the primary at 160 au, TYC 8998-760-1 is the first directly imaged multiplanet system that is detected around a young, solar analog. We show that circular orbits are stable, but that mildly eccentric orbits for either/both components ($e > 0.1$) are chaotic on Gyr timescales, implying in-situ formation or a very specific ejection by an unseen third companion. Due to the wide separations of the companions TYC 8998-760-1 is an excellent system for spectroscopic and photometric follow-up with space-based observatories such as the James Webb Space Telescope., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL (12 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables)

We report the discovery of two transiting exoplanets from the WASP survey, WASP-150b and WASP-176b. WASP-150b is an eccentric ($e$ = 0.38) hot Jupiter on a 5.6 day orbit around a $V$ = 12.03, F8 main-sequence host. The host star has a mass and radius of 1.4 $\rm M_{\odot}$ and 1.7 $\rm R_{\odot}$ respectively. WASP-150b has a mass and radius of 8.5 $\rm M_J$ and 1.1 $\rm R_J$, leading to a large planetary bulk density of 6.4 $\rm \rho_J$. WASP-150b is found to be $\sim3$ Gyr old, well below its circularisation timescale, supporting the eccentric nature of the planet. WASP-176b is a hot Jupiter planet on a 3.9 day orbit around a $V$ = 12.01, F9 sub-giant host. The host star has a mass and radius of 1.3 $\rm M_{\odot}$ and 1.9 $\rm R_{\odot}$. WASP-176b has a mass and radius of 0.86 $\rm M_J$ and 1.5 $\rm R_J$ respectively, leading to a planetary bulk density of 0.23 $\rm \rho_J$., Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal

Accurate masses and radii for normal stars derived from observations of detached eclipsing binary stars are of fundamental importance for testing stellar models and may be useful for calibrating free parameters in these model if the masses and radii are sufficiently precise and accurate. We aim to measure precise masses and radii for the stars in the bright eclipsing binary AI Phe, and to quantify the level of systematic error in these estimates. We use several different methods to model the TESS light curve of AI Phe combined with spectroscopic orbits from multiple sources to estimate precisely the stellar masses and radii together with robust error estimates. We find that the agreement between different methods for the light curve analysis is very good but some methods underestimate the errors on the model parameters. The semi-amplitudes of the spectroscopic orbits derived from spectra obtained with modern echelle spectrographs are consistent to within 0.1%. The masses of the stars in AI Phe are $M_1 = 1.1938 \pm 0.0008 M_{\odot}$ and $M_2 = 1.2438 \pm 0.0008M_{\odot}$, and the radii are $R_1 = 1.8050 \pm 0.0022 R_{\odot}$ and $R_2 = 2.9332 \pm 0.0023 R_{\odot}$. We conclude that it is possible to measure accurate masses and radii for stars in bright eclipsing binary stars to a precision of 0.2% or better using photometry from TESS and spectroscopy obtained with modern echelle spectrographs. We provide recommendations for publishing masses and radii of eclipsing binary stars at this level of precision., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 12 pages, 4 tables and 8 figures

WASP-128 is a relatively bright (V= 12.37) G0-dwarf, known to host a transiting brown dwarf in a short-period orbit (Hod\v{z}i\'c et al. 2018 arXiv:1807.07557 (H18)). Very few such objects are known, which makes WASP-128 a prime target for further observations to better understand giant planet / brown dwarf properties,including formation and migration histories. To facilitate the planning of future observations of WASP-128b, we improve the orbital ephemeris of the system, by using the seven transits of WASP-128 observed by TESS. We note that our orbital period differs significantly from that of H18: it is more than $14\,\sigma$ (using their uncertainty) larger. This results in our ephemeris predicting a mid-2020 transit to occur almost eight hours later than the H18 ephemeris. We find, however, no evidence for any period variation., Comment: Published in Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society (RNAAS)

I present a brief summary of three different types of binary star - astrometric, spectroscopic and eclipsing - and tabulate the properties of these systems that can be determined directly from observations. Eclipsing binary stars are the most valuable of these, as they are our main source of direct mass and radius measurements for normal stars. In good cases, masses and radii can be obtained to better than 1% precision and accuracy using only photometry, spectroscopy and geometry. These measurements constitute vital empirical data against which theoretical models of stars can be verified and improved. I give examples of the use of these systems for constraining stellar theory and the distance scale, and conclude with a presentation of preliminary results for the solar-type eclipsing binary 1SWASP J034114.25+201253.5., Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure. Invited contribution to the conference "Stars and their variability observed from space - Celebrating the 5th anniversary of BRITE-Constellation", Vienna, Austria, 19-23 August 2019, eds C. Neiner, W. Weiss, D. Baade, E. Griffin, C. Lovekin and A. Moffat