What’s the difference between a transit and an occultation in exoplanet signals?

[John_J]

I’m trying to understand the difference between a transit and an occultation, specifically for exoplanet detection. I keep reading that both involve a dip in light, but I’m confused about why an occultation’s signal is so much smaller and what exactly we learn from that secondary eclipse.

[Sofia94]

I once tried chasing the dip when the planet passes in front and the signal was there but the noise was louder clouds and instrument drift in the data

[SavannahPB]

the dip when the planet hides behind the star is much smaller because the planet shines or reflects far less light than the star so you are measuring a tiny brightness ratio and the exact size of the drop depends on the band you observe in

[DonaldHW]

I wonder if the real snag is not the math but whether the dip is real or if stellar activity or detector quirks can mimic it and lead you to chase the wrong thing

[Nicholas.T]

my rough take is that the depth of this behind the star dip is set by the planet to star brightness ratio so it is much smaller than the front dip and in practice you can learn how hot the planet is and how much light it reflects from that secondary event if you have a good infrared view