The search for exoplanets hinges on detecting the tiny gravitational tugs that orbiting worlds exert on their host stars. These stellar “wobbles” manifest as Doppler shifts in starlight—sometimes as small as a few centimeters per second—requiring extraordinary precision in radial velocity measurements. Traditional methods often fall short when chasing the most elusive Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars.
LBL (Line By Line) revolutionizes this hunt by analyzing stellar spectra one absorption line at a time, extracting maximum precision from each photon. This Python powerhouse seamlessly integrates with major astronomical instruments including SPIRou, NIRPS, HARPS, ESPRESSO, and seven others, handling everything from data reduction to velocity extraction. The code implements sophisticated algorithms for telluric correction, stellar template matching, and systematic noise mitigation, pushing radial velocity precision to new frontiers.
Developed by the exoplanet community and battle-tested on real surveys, LBL is already enabling discoveries at observatories worldwide. Whether you’re tracking known exoplanets for atmospheric studies or pushing the boundaries to find the next potentially habitable world, this toolkit transforms raw spectroscopic data into the precise measurements that reveal alien worlds orbiting distant suns.
⭐ Stars: 22
💻 Language: Python
🔗 Repository: njcuk9999/lbl