“Between 2026 and 2036, the exoplanet candidate J1407b will become observable with telescopes, enabling astronomers to observe it more effectively than before.”

We present new photometric and spectroscopic observations of the pre-main-sequence star 1SWASP J140747.93−394542.6 (J1407), which underwent a complex series of deep eclipses in 2007. Despite intensive monitoring, no repeat eclipses have been detected to date. We place limits on possible orbital periods and geometries of a companion, but the lack of additional eclipses significantly constrains models of a bound ringed companion.

We explore a variety of models for the eclipse: (1) a dusty disk orbiting the primary star; (2) a circumsecondary or circumplanetary disk orbiting an unseen secondary or planet; and (3) clumps in a circumstellar disk. The lack of any other observed similar eclipses in over a decade of photometry indicates that the period must be longer than about 10 years. We are not yet able to predict when the next eclipse will occur and continued monitoring will be required.

We present a model for the azimuthally symmetric dust rings surrounding the putative exoplanet J1407b that eclipse the young Sun-like star J1407. Using a series of light curve gradients, we reconstruct a model of a ring system that extends out to a radius of 0.6 AU. The complex series of eclipses in 2007 lasted for 56 days. No repeat of the eclipse has been detected to date, implying that the orbital period is longer than about 10 yr and most likely on the order of decades. Consequently, the next transit is unlikely to occur in the immediate future and cannot yet be accurately predicted.

We report on deep high-contrast imaging and radial velocity observations of the young star J140747.93−394542.6. These observations were designed to detect the hypothesized substellar companion J1407b, whose large ring system has been proposed as the cause of the unusual 2007 eclipses. No companion is detected in either imaging or radial velocity data. Our results significantly narrow the allowed mass–period parameter space for any bound companion and raise the possibility that the 2007 event may not have been caused by a long-period massive planet.

Kenworthy & Mamajek (2015) model the 2007 eclipse of J1407 and interpret it as a transit by a giant ring system around a substellar companion J1407b. They state that only one such eclipse has been observed: "To date, only a single eclipse event has been detected in the light curve of J1407" and that orbital parameters and period are uncertain: "The non-detection of additional eclipses places only lower limits on the orbital period and semi-major axis." The paper does not provide a specific date window such as 2026–2036 when J1407b itself or its rings would become directly observable with telescopes; instead it highlights the difficulty in predicting the next transit without further events.

ESO's news release on the discovery explains that the companion to J1407 was inferred from an extraordinary dimming seen in 2007. It quotes the researchers: "We see the star disappearing and reappearing over the course of several weeks, and we think that this is due to a giant ring system passing in front of the star." The release adds that only that one event has been observed and that predictions of the orbital period are still speculative: "Further observations are needed to determine the orbital period and to see another transit." ESO does not state that between 2026 and 2036 the object will necessarily transit again or become directly observable with telescopes; instead, it frames the timing of any future transit as unknown.

NASA explains that transit photometry detects planets when they pass in front of their host stars and cause measurable dimming. The article is general background on the method rather than specific evidence that J1407b will transit between 2026 and 2036.

The orbital period of the companion is highly uncertain, but the authors state that the next transit would not occur until the 2040s or later, depending on the assumed orbit. This means the 2007 eclipse does not imply observability in the 2026–2036 window. The paper discusses a range of possible orbital periods and notes that follow-up monitoring is needed to constrain whether the object is periodic at all.

We carried out deep direct imaging observations of J1407 with VLT/NaCo and Magellan/MagAO to search for the companion proposed to host the ring system. No point source is detected in our images down to planetary mass limits at projected separations of 3–80 AU. Combined with existing radial velocity and photometric constraints, our analysis suggests that J1407b, if bound, must be of low mass and in a relatively long-period (P ≳ 10 yr), eccentric orbit. The lack of a second transit event since 2007 means that we cannot yet predict a precise epoch for the next eclipse, which is unlikely to be observed in the near term without continued long-baseline monitoring.

Continuous photometric monitoring over 19 years found no evidence for recurrent eclipses or transits by Jupiter-sized companions. The authors conclude that the lack of a repeating event makes a bound orbit unlikely and instead favors a free-floating object. Because no periodic transit has been established, there is no basis for predicting that J1407b will become observable during 2026–2036 via a new transit.

In the abstract and metadata for Kenworthy et al. 2015 on NASA ADS, J1407b is described as a "giant ring system" inferred from a 2007 eclipse, and the companion is referred to as a candidate substellar object. The record notes that the system was detected via a single transit-like event in photometric data and that its orbital period is unconstrained beyond lower bounds. There is no mention of a firm schedule for future transits (e.g., 2026–2036) or of the object becoming directly imageable; the focus is on modeling the ring structure from the one observed event.

We obtained multi-epoch radial velocity measurements of J1407 to search for the reflex motion induced by the proposed companion J1407b. No significant radial velocity signal is detected. By combining our radial velocity limits with the eclipse duration and ring model, we constrain the companion mass to be substellar for a wide range of orbital periods. The non-detection of any additional eclipses in more than a decade of photometric data implies an orbital period longer than about 10 years. However, a precise orbital period remains unconstrained, and the timing of any future transit cannot be accurately forecast at present.

Mamajek et al. (2012) and Kenworthy & Mamajek (2015) interpret the deep, complex eclipse of 1SWASP J140747.93−394542.6 as due to a giant ring system surrounding an orbiting substellar companion, sometimes referred to as J1407b. Only one such eclipse has been observed and no repeat event has yet been seen, placing a lower limit of order a decade on the orbital period. Consequently, predictions for the next transit are highly uncertain and may range from many years to several decades in the future.

The case of the eclipse of 1SWASP J1407 characterized by rapid variations during the occultation event was discussed by Kenworthy & Mamajek (2015) and interpreted as being caused by a giant ring system around an unobserved object that itself orbits the star. Mamajek et al. (2012) specifically apply this model of a highly structured disk around an orbiting companion object, possibly a ring system, to the case of 1SWASP J140747.93−394542.6, where multiple deep minima spread over ≈54 days were observed. Even with this caveat, repeat observation of a second transit are a very distant prospect.

This paper constrains the companion's possible orbit and emphasizes that the event geometry is not yet sufficient to predict a near-term repeat transit with confidence. The work is often cited for the estimate that any repeat eclipse could be decades away and depends strongly on the assumed orbital solution.

Astronomers from Leiden Observatory and the University of Rochester have discovered that the planetary ring system that eclipsed the young sun-like star J1407 in 2007 is of enormous proportions. Their conclusion, based on these and previous studies of the intriguing system J1407, is that a giant planet – which hasn’t yet been seen – has a gigantic ring system. The researchers infer that the companion’s orbital period is of order a decade, but they note that the exact period is uncertain and no prediction is given for when the next transit will occur.

Analysis of 1SWASP J140747.93−394542.6 eclipse fine-structure: hints of exomoons. The spectacular eclipse of J1407 in 2007 has been interpreted as due to a circumsecondary ring system (Mamajek et al. 2012; Kenworthy & Mamajek 2015). However, only a single such event has been recorded despite extensive monitoring, so the orbital period of the putative companion is poorly constrained and likely to be at least of order decades. Consequently, we cannot yet anticipate when a repeat eclipse will occur.

Occultation: Discovery of an Extrasolar Ring System Transiting a Young Sun-like Star and Future Prospects for Detecting Eclipses by Circumplanetary and Circumsecondary Disks. The discovery of the J1407 eclipse demonstrates that giant ring systems around substellar companions can be detected in ground-based transit surveys, but the rarity and long orbital periods of such systems imply that future detections will require large samples and long time baselines. For J1407 itself, only one eclipse has been observed so far, so the period is not known and we cannot predict whether another transit will occur within the next decades.

J1407b is a giant exoplanet with a ring system 200 times as big as Saturn's. It lies 433.8 light years away in the constellation Centaurus. J1407b is the first exoplanet with a ring system to be discovered. Its orbital period is around ten years. The article describes astronomers’ hope of seeing another ring transit in the future but does not give a calculated date or guaranteed time window between 2026 and 2036 when the planet or its rings will certainly become observable again.

In 2007 a strange, months-long dimming of the star J1407 was recorded. Astronomers later concluded that the culprit is probably a huge ring system around an unseen planet, dubbed J1407b. The rings span about 90 million kilometers and contain 37 distinct bands. Because only one such eclipse has been seen and the orbit is not well constrained, scientists don’t know exactly when the planet and its rings will cross the star again, making it difficult to predict a specific future observing window.

The dissertation mentions J1407b only in the context of exoplanet transit phenomena and does not provide evidence for a predicted observable transit between 2026 and 2036. It is relevant background on transit detectability methods, but it does not support a specific ephemeris for J1407b.

We present deep direct imaging observations of the star 1SWASP J140747.93−394542.6 with the aim of detecting the proposed companion J1407b. No companion is detected in our data down to mass limits of a few Jupiter masses at separations greater than tens of astronomical units. Combining these limits with constraints from the 2007 eclipse, we show that many possible orbital configurations of a massive companion are excluded. The absence of additional eclipses since 2007 means that the orbital period is poorly constrained and we cannot predict when the next transit of a ring system, if it exists, will occur.

Astronomical literature on J1407/J1407b up to the mid‑2020s consistently notes that only the 2007 eclipse has been seen and that the orbital period of any companion is uncertain, with estimates ranging roughly from about a decade to several decades depending on assumed eccentricity and mass. Because of this uncertainty and the non‑detection of a bound companion in imaging and radial‑velocity searches, there is no widely accepted prediction that J1407b will definitely transit or otherwise become more readily observable in a specific calendar interval such as 2026–2036; discussions typically speak only of monitoring the star in coming years in case another eclipse occurs.