How to Contribute Data to the NASA Exoplanet Archive

The NASA Exoplanet Archive includes peer-reviewed data on exoplanets and their host stars. Our priority is to keep up with the literature for new planets and to include newly derived values and other data when possible. If you have data you would like to have included and would like to help us expedite the process, follow the guidelines and suggestions on this page.

Please note that the Exoplanet Archive only accepts reduced data and parameters, not raw or intermediate data products. We accept data on all confirmed planets in our archive, their host stars, and stars in the Mission Stars or ExoCAT lists. If you have data from a survey containing a mixture of hosts and non-host stars, please contact us to discuss your data.

A collection of contributed data sets currently available through the archive are linked to the Contributed Data page.

To submit data or to request help on submitting data, please use the Helpdesk.

For All Submissions

All data or values must come from a peer-reviewed and accepted publication. All contributions must include the reference information, including journal name, page and volume or astro-ph number.

Exoplanet and Stellar Parameters

The full list of parameters currently in the database is listed here. We are happy to take suggestions for additional parameters, but please keep in mind that new parameters are not added on the same time scale as new data. Parameters should be submitted in ASCII files, clearly labeled with the parameter and uncertainty, particularly if multiple planets are included. For example, an electronic version of a paper table may contain all the relevant information. In general, derived parameter values should include uncertainties (note that limits to values are also accepted) and we reserve the right not to include inadequately described data, even if it has been published.

The Exoplanet Archive can store multiple values for a given parameter. Only a single value for each parameter is displayed in the interactive table, but all values are available on the planet's Detailed Information pages, which can be accessed by clicking the icon next to the Planet Host name in the interactive table or by using the Search Extended Planet Data tool. Scientists at the Exoplanet Archive will make the determination of what values are in the interactive table based on such factors as order of publication, completeness of orbital solution, completeness of model parameters or size of uncertainties.

Exoplanet and Stellar Data Files

Examples of data files include radial velocity time series, stellar or exoplanet spectra and images. All non-image data must be submitted as ASCII tables with complete descriptions of the columns, including units. The IPAC ASCII table format is preferred (see http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/applications/DDGEN/Doc/ipac_tbl.html). An example radial velocity file is here.

Image files can be submitted as FITS, but please contact us first to ensure the proper keywords are available.

Last update: 4 March 2015