Weather has improved in the last few weeks compared to June, and we have now (August 10) we have reached 33 HARPS epochs of the ~50 possible ones for Proxima, Barnard’s and Ross 154.
Data on Proxima remains tricky to interpret. When all datasets are combined together, the signal of Proxima b remains strong and growing in significance, but the new data alone shows only weak evidence of it. This is within the expectation for such a small signal, and the not-so ideal sampling caused by the first weeks of bad weather.
More mysterious is the nature of the longer term signal. Non-random variability remains beyond reasonable doubt, but four candidate periods are equally favoured. Once one of these second signals is added to the model, not much is left on the data.
This is, of course, our preliminary quicklook to the data. Once we have all the simultaneous photometry and other diagnostics ready, the picture might change especially concerning Signal #2.
We are sure our colleagues will also have their own opinions. Please feel free to express them via comments here, or live discussion in the social media (@RedDotsSpace, and Facebook page). As before, measurements and spectra are available here.
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