Star Vetter

TIC 295146943

An uncatalogued eclipsing-binary candidate from TESS.

CleanSurvivorP = 2.62165 d

Eclipsing-binary candidate: 2.6216-day period, a 3.33% primary eclipse, no significant secondary eclipse.

TIC 295146943 is a candidate eclipsing binary star identified through automated analysis of TESS photometry. The system shows a primary eclipse with a depth of 2.93 percent occurring every 2.6216 days, detected with a signal-to-noise ratio of 96.2 in the periodogram analysis. Pixel-level imaging confirms a signal peak with signal-to-noise of 16.6, though the centroid offset of 6.1 arcseconds from the target position warrants consideration. No secondary eclipse was detected in the available data. This candidate does not appear in six major variable-star catalogs, representing a potential new detection. The machine-learning model assigned it a screening score of 0.25, reflecting moderate confidence in its physical reality, and the photometric data passed all quality checks without flags.

Primary eclipsetotal light 0.964
Surface brightness ratio
companion faint - no secondary eclipse
Companion temperature
below ~3,837 K
Companion / star radius
~0.18
Face hidden at primary eclipse
~3%
Separation
~8.3 x the star's radius
Eccentricity
consistent with circular

Zoomed: both stars drawn about 2x larger than their real size relative to the orbit, so they overlap for longer than the real eclipse lasts. A star's surface never gets dimmer during an eclipse - part of it is simply hidden. What drops is the total light we receive, shown exactly by the readout and bar below from the real light curve; the glow dims with it, exaggerated so small dips show. Colours follow temperature on a stellar colour scale, saturated so the differences show; the star's is its catalogue value (6,740 K). The companion's colour, sizes and orbit shape are estimates from the eclipse depths, duration and timing, assuming central eclipses and spherical stars - good to perhaps tens of percent. Only the relative orbit is shown; both stars really circle their common centre of mass. Animated about 9,438x faster than real on average, slowing down through each eclipse, and starting from where the system is in its orbit right now. Hover to pause.

  • Secondary2026-10-19 11:18 UTC
  • Primary2026-10-20 18:45 UTC
  • Secondary2026-10-22 02:13 UTC

Computed from the fitted ephemeris. Approximate - not corrected for your location or for light-travel time across Earth's orbit.

I

The signal

A repeating, consistent dip in brightness.

observed binned median residuals
1.001.101.201.301.400-0.4-0.20.00.20.4phase (P = 2.6216 d)relative flux

Residual scatter 5.721% (observed minus binned median).

Clear, repeating eclipses with a consistent period and depth.

Period
2.62165 d
Primary depth
3.33%
Epoch (T0)
1492.417 BTJD
Duration
2.88 h
II

The catalog check

Cross-matched against known variable-star catalogs to rule out anything already listed.

  • VSXNot found
  • ASAS-SNNot found
  • Gaia eclipsing-binary tableNot found
  • Gaia variable classificationNot found
  • TESS EB catalog (Prsa+2022)Not found
  • ExoFOP TOI listNot found

0/6 catalogs list a known variable at this position.

No known variable star or catalogued match at this position.

Catalogs checked
6
Matches
0
III

The pixel check

Confirms the dimming is on the target star, not a nearby source.

Out of eclipse
In eclipse
Difference (out - in)
+ target TIC 295146943x neighbour bright enough to cause the dipo other TIC starsO dimming centroid1 pixel = 21"

Out/in share one sqrt colour scale; in-eclipse = out-of-eclipse minus difference. TESS sector 7.

16.6
0.29 px6"
-0.0025 phase
TIC 2951469330.89 px, dT -1.7
0.86
7

The dimming is centred on the target star. No nearby contaminant detected.

Centroid offset
0.29 px
Difference SNR
16.6
Capable neighbour
TIC 295146933
TESS sector
7
IV

The Gaia view

A second spacecraft's measurements: how far away the star is, how bright and what colour, and whether its position fits a single star.

The latest Gaia context file does not include this candidate yet, so there is no Gaia view to show.

V

The ground-survey check

An independent instrument, different years: does real ZTF photometry show the eclipse at the period TESS measured?

The latest ground-survey file does not include this candidate yet, so there is no independent ZTF check to show.

VI

Fold it yourself

Adjust the period and watch the eclipse appear.

1.001.101.201.301.40-0.4-0.20.00.20.4phaserelative flux
2.62165

Shown at the true period. The raw light curve needed to re-fold at other periods has not been exported yet - this slider unlocks automatically once it is.

The period the pipeline measured. Drag the slider away from it and the eclipse smears out.

True period
2.62165 d
BLS period
2.62165 d
Odd/even z
0.90
VII

Caveats

Known limitations and things to check.

None found

No caveats flagged: this candidate cleared every gate with no named exception. Follow-up observations would still be needed to confirm the stellar parameters.

VIII

Instrument

Raw values, fits and technical details.

Show raw data

Full statistics

2.62165 d
2.62165 dsame
3.33% +/- 0.27%seen 10/10
ML screening score
0.248logistic_regression
< 0.40%none at 5 sigma
0.90< 3
1.3127 dpower 0.03
2.9 h
Distance (TIC, Gaia-based)
1196 pc+/- 47
14.85 / 14.27
6740 K / 1.42 Rsun
RA / Dec (J2000)
07h 13m 35.4s -16d 15m 21s
96.2 / 16.6
1,072 ptsover 24 d

Eclipse close-ups

Primary eclipse3.33%
0.9600.9700.9800.9901.000-505hours from mid-eclipse
Secondary (phase 0.500)not sig.
0.9600.9700.9800.9901.000-505hours from mid-eclipse

Same flux scale on both panels. Line: binned median. Shown in place of an orbit animation - this pipeline measures eclipses, it does not fit an orbit.

Period alias analysis

BLS period 2.6216 d
1.001.101.201.301.40-0.50.00.5
2x BLS 5.2433 d
1.001.101.201.301.40-0.50.00.5

Odd/even depth z = 0.90 (gate 3.0): alternate eclipses match, so the BLS period stands.

O - C timing

primary eclipses
-15-10-50510150246810Eclipse number (cycle)O - C (min)

9 eclipses timed, rms 7.15 min, reduced chi-square 19.69 (7 dof): more scatter than the timing errors explain - worth a closer look.

Each eclipse timed by fitting the star's own mean eclipse profile; fitted P = 2.620752 +/- 0.000160 d.

Quick actions