Thomas Barclay (NASA Ames) : Life at the edge of what is possible with Kepler

The Kepler spacecraft is an astounding instrument. However, those working with the data always want to push the instrument to the limit. I will discuss three pieces of work that showcase what is possible with Kepler. The first is a study of the hot Jupiter TrES-2b that explores what can be learned about the planet using the Kepler photometry alone. The second study explores the smallest planet candidates found using Kepler. These sub-Earth-sized candidates can only be found using an instrument as sensitive as the Kepler spacecraft. Finally, I will discuss the progress we are making towards finding the first Earth-like planet. The most important and most challenging goal of the Kepler mission.