TESS Southern Hemisphere Sector Images

  • Released Tuesday, November 5, 2019
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Sector 1.The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from July 25, 2018, to August 22, 2018. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2018-08-07 at 04:59:42 UTC. The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds appear on the right-hand side.

Sector 1.

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from July 25, 2018, to August 22, 2018. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2018-08-07 at 04:59:42 UTC. The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds appear on the right-hand side.

NASA’s newest planet hunter, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), is now providing valuable data to help scientists discover and study exciting new exoplanets, or planets beyond our solar system. Part of the treasure trove from TESS’s first year of science operations includes wide-field pictures of the southern sky. The images show each of the 13 southern sky sectors TESS monitored.

TESS acquired the images using four cameras; black lines in the images are gaps between camera detectors. Some stars are so bright they saturate an entire column of pixels on the detectors, creating long spikes of light.

TESS’s cameras, designed and built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory and the MIT Kavli Institute, monitor enormous 24-by-96-degree swaths of the sky to look for transiting planets. These events occur when a planet passes in front of its star as viewed from the satellite’s perspective, causing a regular dip in the star’s brightness.

After two years, TESS will have monitored 26 sectors for 27 days each, covering 85 percent of the sky. On July 18, 2019, TESS completed monitoring the last of its 13 southern sectors, then turned its cameras to the north to carry out a second year-long survey.

Sector 2.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from August 22, 2018, to September 20, 2018. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2018-09-11 at 18:59:40 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side.

Sector 2.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from August 22, 2018, to September 20, 2018. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2018-09-11 at 18:59:40 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side.

Sector 3.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from September 20, 2018, to October 18, 2018. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2018-10-10 at 22:59:39 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side.

Sector 3.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from September 20, 2018, to October 18, 2018. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2018-10-10 at 22:59:39 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side.

Sector 4.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from October 18, 2018, to November 15, 2018. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2018-11-10 at 08:59:38UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side.

Sector 4.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from October 18, 2018, to November 15, 2018. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2018-11-10 at 08:59:38UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side.

Sector 5.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from November 15, 2018, to December 11, 2018. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2018-12-06 at 04:59:37 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way begins to appear on the left.

Sector 5.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from November 15, 2018, to December 11, 2018. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2018-12-06 at 04:59:37 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way begins to appear on the left.

Sector 6.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from December 11, 2018, to January 7, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-01-06 at 12:29:36 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way appears on the left.

Sector 6.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from December 11, 2018, to January 7, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-01-06 at 12:29:36 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way appears on the left.

Sector 7.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from January 7, 2019, to February 2, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-01-19 at 11:29:36 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way runs through the center.

Sector 7.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from January 7, 2019, to February 2, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-01-19 at 11:29:36 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way runs through the center.

Sector 8.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from February 2, 2019, to Febuary 28, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-02-27 at 11:29:34 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way runs through the center.

Sector 8.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from February 2, 2019, to Febuary 28, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-02-27 at 11:29:34 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way runs through the center.

Sector 9.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from February 28, 2019, to March 26, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-03-13 at 00:29:34 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way runs through the center.

Sector 9.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from February 28, 2019, to March 26, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-03-13 at 00:29:34 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way runs through the center.

Sector 10.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from March 26, 2019, to April 22, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-04-18 at 22:59:33 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way runs through the center.

Sector 10.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from March 26, 2019, to April 22, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-04-18 at 22:59:33 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way runs through the center.

Sector 11.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from April 22, 2019, to May 21, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-05-06 at 03:59:32 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way runs through the center.

Sector 11.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from April 22, 2019, to May 21, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-05-06 at 03:59:32 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way runs through the center.

Sector 12.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from May 21, 2019, to June 19, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-06-12 at 15:29:31 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way appears on the left.

Sector 12.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from May 21, 2019, to June 19, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-06-12 at 15:29:31 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the plane of the Milky Way appears on the left.

Sector 13.TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from June 19, 2019, to July 18, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-07-17 at 19:59:29 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the edge of the plane of the Milky Way appears in the upper left-hand corner.

Sector 13.

TESS observed this strip of stars and galaxies in the southern sky from June 19, 2019, to July 18, 2019. TESS captured this individual image during one 30-minute period on 2019-07-17 at 19:59:29 UTC. The Large Magellanic Cloud appears on the right-hand side, and the edge of the plane of the Milky Way appears in the upper left-hand corner.

For More Information

See https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/nasa-s-tess-mission-completes-first-year-of-survey-turns-to-northern-sky

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. However, individual items should be credited as indicated above.

This page was originally published on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:45 PM EDT.

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