How to Use the Interactive Exoplanet Visualizer
Skip to a section:
- Overview and System Requirements
- Search
- Uploading a List of Objects (File or Table Upload)
- Accessing More Scientific Content
- Descriptions of Discovery Methods
- Adding and Removing Parameters (Columns)
- Sorting and Filtering Data
- Removing all Data Filtering and Sorting
- Tables with tabs
- Downloading Data
- Plotting the Data
- Known Issues and Usage Tips
Overview and System Requirements
The Interactive Exoplanet Visualizer displays data currently stored in the archive, including information provided by the original source, in three tables:
The data are presented in tables that can be searched, filtered, sorted and downloaded by end users from within a Web page.
For best results, we strongly recommending using newer versions of the Firefox Web browser when using the interactive tables. Internet Explorer is currently not supported by this interface.
Also, please make sure your Web browser is set to allow pop-up windows from the exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu. For more information, read the respective help file for your browser version and platform:
- Firefox (any platform)
- Google Chrome (any platform)
- Safari 5 (Mac): Choose Safari > Block Pop-Up Windows to toggle this setting, or press Shift-Command-K
Search
Along the top of the table are a series of buttons, one of which leads to a few options to search for data or additional information about the data in the tables.
The options will achieve the following:
- Search On-line Documentation: goes to the Exoplanet Archive Documentation Index page, which contains a Google search form to search the archive.
- Search for Objects or Locations: goes to a search form where you can search either of the three tables (Confirmed Planets, KOIs and TCEs) by object name, coordinate or radius.
- View Column Information: goes to the respective documentation for the table you are viewing (Confirmed Planets, KOIs and TCEs) that describes each data column.
Uploading a List of Objects (File or Table Upload)
The Interactive Visualizer's default display shows all data in the archive, but users may use the Table Upload feature to submit an input file with a pre-selected list of objects. The input file must adhere to a few simple requirements:
- Objects must be listed in a single column.
- The file should not contain additional information, such as header rows, comments or parameters.
- Objects must be identified using any combination of the following source name designations:
Confirmed Planets: HIP name
Host name
HD nameKOI: Kepler name
Full KIC identifier (i.e., KIC 757450)TCE: Full KIC identifier (i.e., KIC 757450) - Object names may include spaces and a mix of upper- and lower-case letters.
To use the feature:
- Click the Upload File to Search Tables link on the Exoplanet Archive home page, or go directly to the Search Tables page.
- Select which table to search for your object parameters: Confirmed Planets, KOIs, or TCEs.
- Click Browse and select the input file from your local drive. You may also search for a single object by entering the source ID in the Source ID field.
- Click Submit to display the results in the Interactive Visualizer. Note that objects in your input list that are not in the archive are simply ignored.
If a star name is given, all planets for that host star will be returned. If a planet name is given, only that planet will be returned.
Please note that only one table can be searched at a time (Confirmed Planets, KOIs or TCEs), so if your input file lists objects from both tables, you will only see results from the table you selected when you uploaded the file. If your input file does not contain any objects in the specified table, a "No matches found" error displays.
Here is a sample file that can be uploaded to the Confirmed Planets table.
Accessing More Scientific Content
In addition to the data contained in the tables, each entry contains links to other online resources. These links can be accessed by clicking once on the row to highlight,
and then clicking on the information icon next to the planet host star name (
), which displays a pop-up window.
You may then point and click on a link to access the online resource.
Entries in the Confirmed Planets table all contain the following links:
- Confirmed Exoplanet Overview goes to the overview page for the host star and associated planets.
- Transit Ephemeris Service queries the Exoplanet Archive transit service for this planet and displays the results.
- exoplanet.eu (outside link) goes directly to the entry for the host star and its associated planets.
- exoplanets.org (outside link) goes directly to the entry in that resource.
All confirmed Kepler planets contain additional links:
- Kepler Pipeline Overview: goes to an overview page containing all available information in the archive about a specific Kepler planet.
- Target Pixel Files (MAST): goes to a page for retrieving time-series imagettes to perform custom photometry analysis.
- Time Series and Periodogram: sends the data to the archive's time series interactive visualizer and periodogram tools for further processing.
Entries in the KOI table contain the following links:
- Time Series and Periodogram goes to a light curve visualization page with link to the Periodogram Service.
- Kepler Pipeline KOI Overview goes to a page containing all available information in the archive about the planet.
- CFOP goes to the Community Follow-up Observing Program (CFOP) Web site.
- Transit Ephemeris goes to the Transit Ephemeris service for this planet.
- Target Pixel Files (MAST) goes to a page for retrieving time-series imagettes to perform custom photometry analysis.
Entries in the Threshold Crossing Events table contain the following links:
- Time Series and Periodogram goes to a light curve visualization page with link to the Periodogram Service.
- DV Report goes to the Data Validation Report for the corresponding KepID.
- DV Summary goes to a Data Validation Summary page.
If the pop-up window does not disappear after a 5 seconds, you can close it by clicking the 
in the upper-right corner of the pop-up.
Viewing Data
There are several possible parameters given for each planet, one per column. The following columns display by default:
| Confirmed Planets Table | Kepler Objects of Interest | Threshold Crossing Events |
|---|---|---|
| Host Name | KepID | KepID |
| Planet Letter | RA (deg) | Planet Number |
| HD Name | Dec (deg) | Period (days) |
| HIP Name | Keper-band (mag) | Transit Epoch (BKJD) |
| RA (deg) | Teff (K) | Transit Depth (ppm) |
| Dec (deg) | Log(g) (cm/s**2) | Transit Duration (hr) |
| Distance (parsec) | Stellar Radius (Rsolar) | Transit Ingress Time (hr) |
| V (Johnson) | KOI | Impact Parameter |
| Teff (K) | Type | Inclination (deg) |
| Stellar Radius (RSolar) | Period (days) | Planet-Star Distance (AU) |
| Stellar Mass (MSolar) | Transit Epoch (BKJD) | Eccentricity |
| Period (days) | Transit Depth (ppm) | Longitude of Periastron (deg) |
| Semi-Major Axis (AU) | Transit Duration (hr) | Planet-Star Distance to Stellar Radius Ratio |
| Inclination (deg) | Impact Parameter | Planet to Stellar Radius Ratio |
| Time of Periastron (days) | Semi-Major Axis (AU) | Planet Radius (Earth) |
| Eccentricity | SMA to Stellar Radius Ratio | Eq Temperature (K) |
| Planet Mass (Jupiter | Planet to Stellar Radius Ratio | Stellar Teff (K) |
| Planet Radius (Jupiter) | Planet Radius (Earth) | Stellar Log(g) (cm/s**2) |
| Discovery Method | Stellar Radius (Solar) | |
| Stellar Metallicity (dex) | ||
| TCE Delivery | ||
| Date of Last Update |
Additional parameters can be displayed by selecting the corresponding checkboxes in the Column Controls panel on the left of the table. Up to 50 parameters (columns) can be displayed at a time.
Also, hovering your cursor over any part of a row will display the host name for that specific parameter, which is useful when scrolling horizontally and the Host Name column is no longer on the screen.
Descriptions of Discovery Methods
The Discovery Method column in the Planets and Host table uses abbreviations to describe each object's discovery method. Here are the descriptions for each:
| Abbrevation | Description |
|---|---|
| pul | pulsar timing variations |
| ima | directly imaged |
| tran | transiting |
| rv | radial velocity |
| ast | astrometry |
| micro | microlensing |
Adding and Removing Parameters (Columns)
To display or remove specific parameters in the table, click the 
icon to expand a menu in the Column Controls panel, then select or de-select the checkboxes. Click Update when finished. The table can display up to 50 columns at a time.
Note that selecting a parameter does not automatically select its subordinate parameters. Each parameter must be selected individually.
Click the Reset button at the top of the Column Controls panel to reset the parameter selections. This action will select all default parameters, and de-select all others.
Resizing Columns
Column widths may be resized manually by placing the cursor on the border between two column headings until the cursor becomes one or two arrows (depending on your browser), like in the following image:
You may then hold your mouse button down and drag the cursor to the left or right to resize the columns. Note that clicking the Reset Filters button returns the columns to their default widths.
Re-arranging Columns
Columns can also be re-organized by clicking on a column name, holding down the mouse button, and dragging and dropping it to the new location. A red bar will display in the location to which the column will be located when the mouse button is released. In the following example, a column will be relocated between the Dec and Distance columns.
Hiding the Left Pane
Once you have customized the table to display only your desired columns, you may hide the left pane containing the Introduction text and Column Controls menu so you can see more table data. To do this, place the cursor on the border between the left pane and the table pane until the cursor becomes two arrows (or one, depending on your browser).
Then, hold down the left mouse button and drag the border to the left. Release the mouse button when the outline of the pane is in the new location.
Sorting and Filtering Data
One of the valuable features of the Interactive Exoplanet Visualizer is the ability to sort and filter the data using a slightly extended and simplified form of Structured Query Language (SQL). It is not necessary to have expertise in creating SQL queries to use the visualizer, but it is necessary to follow a specific syntax to do certain things. This section describes the conventions that are supported. For a summary of what is allowed and not allowed, skip to Summary of Allowed Filters for Data String Types and What is Not Allowed.
Important Note About Filtering and Uncertainties and Blend Flags: It's important to remember that filters only apply to the measurement, and not to the uncertainty or blend flag (the values following ±). For example, one entry for Stellar Radius in the Confirmed Planets table has '1.23±0.07*', but the filter only acts on the 1.23 portion. If you include 0.07 in the filter query, this object will not be returned. Filtering on the uncertainty and blend flags will work only if you first display the uncertainty or blend flag columns. Likewise for limit flags. (See Adding and Removing Parameters (Columns).)
Sorting Data
To sort data in any column, double-click on a column heading. Note that when the data are sorted, an up or down arrow/triangle displays in the upper-right corner of the column heading. Data are sorted in ascending order (lowest to highest) on the first double-click, and re-sorted in descending order (highest to lowest) on the second double-click.
Note that columns with data containing a mix of letters and numbers (e.g. HD 10069) are sorted based on the first character. So, for example, a column with several planets that begin with the same letter will be ordered based on the alphabetic characters rather than the numeric values (e.g. HD 10069, HD 100077, HD 10180, etc.).
Filtering on Exact and Substring Matches
There are two kinds of literal string searches: exact match and substring match.
An exact match calls for results that exclusively contain the search string you specify. The string must be enclosed in single quotation marks (do not use double quotation marks). For example, to find planets with an Orbital Period of exactly 567 days, you would enter '567.' If there were any entries that were variations of 567, such as 567.5 or 567.25, they would not returned because they are not an exact matches.
A substring match returns all results containing the string, but not exclusively. For example, in the Host Name column of the Confirmed Planets table, enter corot in the text field, then wait a few seconds. The column data will refresh and show only the entries containing CoRoT stars. Note that the search string is case-insensitive, so corot is the same as CoRoT.
Note that these types of searches do not recognize Boolean search terms, such as "and," "or" and "not." For example, entering "corot OR cnc" to find CoRoT or CNC Planet Host Star Names will return no results, because the search function will look for stars named "corot OR cnc," which do not exist. You must do separate searches for "corot" and "cnc."
Filtering on Multiple Parameters
The table allows data to be filtered on multiple parameters, so you can narrow down your results to be very specific. Simply enter your string search in each parameter's search field, giving the table a few seconds to process each parameter before entering the next one. In the example below, the table displays all HD planets that are e planets with an RA less than 200 degrees:
Filtering for Ranges of Data: Greater or Less Than
To search for a range of values above or below a specific value, enter < or > followed by the minimum or maximum value.
Example: In the Planet Mass [Jupiter] column, enter >4 in the column's text field, and then wait a few seconds. The column will refresh and show only planet masses greater than 4. You may then double-click on the column heading to sort the filtered results in ascending or descending order. When sorting is activated, a triangle in the upper-right corner of the column heading displays and points up for ascending order and down for descending order.
Filtering for Ranges of Data: Between
Another method for searching and displaying ranges of data is to type between followed by the search string range, separated with and, as in: between 4 and 6.
In the following example, the range for RA [deg] is specified as being between 24 and 100, and a sample of the unsorted results is listed:
Filtering for Ranges of Data: Two Strings Separated by Multiple Characters (Letters Only)
The percent symbol (%) can be placed between two search strings that are separated by other characters. For example, entering corot%7 in the Host Name column returns all CoRoT objects that end in 7 that have multiple characters between CoRoT and 7:
To further narrow your search, you can use an underscore ( _ ) instead of a percent sign, which specifies that there is only one character between the two search strings:
Using Filtering To Exclude Data
To exclude specific results from a column, type the less-than (<) and greater-than (>) symbols facing each other followed by the search string. For example, typing <>b in the Planet Letter column excludes all b planets:
Typing != and the search string is another way to do the same thing:
This works with both exact and substring matches, for example: !=123 or !='abc'
Filtering Null Values
Null values are represented by blank spaces, which means no value has been entered for a specific parameter. Zero is not considered null because it is a value. To remove nulls from filtered results, which are represented as blank spaces, enter not null in the search field. Conversely, you may type null or =null to only show entries with null values for a particular parameter.
| No Null Values | Only Null Values |
 |
 |
Summary of Allowed Filters for Data String Types
Some syntax may only be used with numeric data or letters. The following table summarizes which commands are appropriate, and if so, how to structure them.
(Three dashes indicates the operation does not work with the string type.)
| Operation | Numeric Syntax | Letter Syntax |
|---|---|---|
| exact match | 123 |
'abc' |
| not equal | !=123or <>123 |
!='abc'or <>'abc' |
| substring match | --- | abc |
| substring mismatch | --- | !=abc |
| exclude all nulls | not null |
not null |
| show only nulls | =nullor is null |
=nullor is null |
| do not display nulls | is not null |
is not null |
| range of numbers | between 123 and 456 |
--- |
| range of letters and numbers (multiple characters) |
--- | string%string (e.g. corot%7) |
| range of letters and numbers (single character) |
--- | string_string (e.g. corot_7) |
| less than | <123 |
--- |
| greater than | >123 |
--- |
| less than or equal to | <=123 |
--- |
| greater than or equal to | >=123 |
--- |
What is Not Allowed
For best results, avoid using the following characters or commands to filter data:
- Double quotes (" ") will cause the service to fail
- Quotes or asterisks to indicate wildcards (e.g. HD *)
- Underscores ( _ )
- OR or AND or NOT (except as specified in the table summary above)
- Less-than (<) or greater-than (>) symbols preceding a letter (e.g., <d)
- Unix- or Perl-style commands or regular expressions (e.g., GT, LT, NE, etc.)
- Multiple spaces within a query (e.g., = 123 vs. =123)
- Escape characters to instruct the system to read a character as a string instead of a command (e.g. % or ^ )
Removing All Data Filtering and Sorting
If you've sorted and filtered data in the table and want to start over, you can revert to the default display by clicking the Reset button in the Column Controls panel.
Clicking Reset Filters in the bottom-right corner of the table reverts the table to the configuration before you last clicked Update. For example, if you have filtered some data, then de-selected columns and clicked Reset Filters, the table will look as it did before you last clicked Update.
Note: You may notice the numbering in the Row ID column (if displayed) appears out of order when data are sorted and filtered. The Row ID is the object's unique identifier in the archive's database and does not reflect any sort of ranking or science value.
Tables with tabs
Some interactive tables, such as the KOI tables or the transit tables have multiple tabs within a single window. For these tables, some actions apply to all tabs while other apply only to the active tab.
Actions applied to all tabs:
- Column selection, de-selection and reset
- Column filters
- Export option selection
- Sorting
- Check boxes to select rows
- Select All, Clear All and Reset buttons in bottom right corner
- Column order
- Exporting data
- Plotting from table
Downloading Data
Exporting Data to a File
Once you've filtered and sorted the data to your specifications, you can export them to a table in one of the following formats:
- Comma-separated values (.csv)
- VOTable (.xml)
- IPAC format (.tbl)
- Tab-separated format (.tab)
To export to a file, click the Export Table Options button at the top of the table to specify a format:
In the same drop-down menu, you may opt to export data from all columns and/or rows or just those filtered and/or checked. A row is checked when the checkbox in the first column contains a checkmark (
).
Depending on your browser and platform, the information will either display in new Web browser tab or window, or you will be prompted to save the file locally with a new file name.
The constraints used to filter the data will be listed at the top of the table.
Note: The ± symbol embedded with some entries may not be recognized by programs that require 7-bit ASCII characters.
Downloading Data Using the Application Programming Interface (API)
The archive also offers an application programming interface (API) as an alternate method of downloading data directly from the database. This method requires some knowledge of using Structured Query Language (SQL) scripts, which are described in detail on the Application Programming Interface help page.
Plotting the Data
The table plotting function allows users to further investigate exoplanet properties for the ensemble of known exoplanets and/or Kepler candidates. Users can narrow down the list of planets used in the plots, such as plotting only for planets less than, or more massive than, the mass of Jupiter. Some possible use cases include:
- Plotting the eccentricity-period diagram of known exoplanets
- Plotting the mass-period diagram
- Plotting the host star mass vs. planet period
The Exoplanet Archive offers pre-generated plots that are ready-to-publish versions of what can be created manually from the Interactive Exoplanet Visualizer.
To use the Table Plotting feature:
- First, make sure your Web browser is set to allow pop-up windows from exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu. (See the respective help documentation for your browser, if necessary.)
- Then, click the Export Table Options button at the top of the table to specify which columns and rows to include in the plot, then click the Table Plotter button.
- A new browser tab will display showing two graphs of the same data. Use the zoom buttons to narrow or widen the perspective on the larger (upper) graph. You may also click and drag within the larger graph to zoom.
- In the lower graph, move the blue rectangle with your cursor to show a different section of the larger graph.
- To change the scaling, x-axis, y-axis, and other plot settings, click the Plot Controls button, make your changes in the pop-up window, and then click Update Plot.
- The Save Image button to the right of the Plot Controls button may be clicked to save a copy of the plot image to the local machine.
Note that the Plot Controls window remains open after each update so you can further refine your plot.
Known Issues and Usage Tips
Issue: After uploading an input file, you get a "No matches found" error.
Possible Solution: You may have selected the wrong table to search in the Table Upload interface. You may only search one table at a time, so try re-submitting your input file and select the other table.
Issue: A table takes a long time to load.
Possible Solution: Try displaying fewer parameters (columns). Each column requires additional loading and processing time that can affect performance.
Issue: The table does not refresh after clicking the Web browser's Reload or Refresh button.
Possible Solution: The Web browser stores the table data in a local cache, so hold the Shift button while clicking Refresh or Reload to retrieve a fresh batch of data.
Issue: A large strip of whitespace appears at the top or bottom of the table when scrolling up or down.
Possible Solution: This occasionally appears in Safari and Chrome Web browsers, usually due to rapid scrolling. Try scrolling in the opposite direction until the white space is off the page, and then resume in the original direction at a slower pace.
Issue: When the Web browser window is widened horizontally, the table doesn't expand to the wider size.
Possible Solution: This occasionally occurs in the Safari browser. Try clicking the Update button in the Column Controls panel, or resizing the window again. If that doesn't work, refresh/reload the Web page.
Issue: You receive the following error message while trying to filter a parameter:
Possible Solution: You have attempted to use a filter query that is not recognized or allowed by the column. For example, you cannot use the greater-than (>) or less-than (<) symbol with a letter. If you are getting error messages repeatedly, take a moment to review the summary of filter query strings and their usage as well as what is not allowed.
Issue: After clicking Check All, then Clear Checked, then Check All again, the functionality stop working.
Possible Solution: This is a known issue. Click the Reset button in the Column Controls panel to refresh the table.
Issue: If you have filtered data, then de-selected columns, and then clicked Reset Filters in the bottom-right corner of the table, the table revers to the configuration prior to the last time you clicked the Update button.
Possible Solution: This is a known issue. It's best to make your column selections first before filtering the displayed data.
Issue: Clicking Table Plotter brings up the plot in the background, but the screen hangs with a "Loading, Please Wait..." message.
Possible Solution: This is a known issue with Internet Explorer browsers. Try using a different browser, such as Firefox 3.6 or newer.
Last updated: December 9, 2012
