The first extrasolar planet 51 Peg b around the G-type star has been reported in 1995. The planet with few Jupiter masses orbiting its star very closely was detected by measurement of the oscillation in the radial velocity of the host star. In 1999 the first transit, when the planet is eclipsing the host star, of the extrasolar planet HD209458 b was observed with a small ground based photometric telescope. Ever since, new planets in distant systems are continuously being detected with new high precision instruments from the ground and from space. The department of Extrasolar Planets and Atmospheres at Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt, Berlin (DLR) is involved in the detection and characterization of extrasolar planets, through participation in the CoRoT space mission. Furthermore, two ground based photometric telescope systems are operated as a ground based support for the space mission CoRoT, dedicated to asteroseismology and to extrasolar planet search with the help of the transit method. The BEST project consists of two small aperture wide field-of-view photometric telescopes devoted to the search for transiting Jupiter-sized extrasolar planets and to the characterization of variable stars in CoRoT target fields...

Photoelectric photometry in the Johnson V and B bands for 11 asteroids is presented. We determine the synodic rotation period for 121 Hermione (5.6 hr), 162 Laurentia (11.87 hr), 508 Princetonia (52.8 hr), 510 Mabella (19.40 hr?), and 636 Erika (14.62 hr). The previously published periods for 276 Adelheid, 344 Desiderata, and 984 Gretia are confirmed. We also present B - V colour indices and provide new information for the taxonomic classification of three of the objects. The objects were chosen to give good solar phase angle coverage at small solar phase angles; for 276 Adelheid and 344 Desiderata we obtained subdegree observations.

One of us (JP) carried out photoelectric photometry for 12 asteroids at Lowell Observatory in 1984-85. We determined the synodic rotation period for (83) Beatrix (10.11 hr), (121) Hermione (5.6 hr),(162) Laurentia (11.87 hr), (508) Princetonia (52.8 hr), (510) Mabella (19.40 hr?), and (636) Erika (14.62 hr).The previously published periods for (276) Adelheid, (344) Desiderata, and (984) Gretia are confirmed. We also present B-V colour indices and provide new information for the taxonomic classification of three of the objects. The observations are submitted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. (83) Beatrix was also observed at 1988, 1990 and 1992 apparitions by other observers and we were thus able to calculate its pole position. The purpose of the observations was to study the behavior of asteroid lightcurves at as wide a range of phase angles as possible. Some previous observations, mainly of high-albedo asteroids indicate the presence of an opposition spike at very low phase angles (e.g. Harris and Young, 1986, Bull.Amer.Astron.Soc.,18, 797). Recent theoretical work by Muinonen (1990, PhD. Dissertation,University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, and references therein) has suggested that wave-optical effects may become important at very small solar phase angles. The phase curves of (83) Beatrix, (276) Adelheid, and (344) Desiderata reach subdegree phase angles. No opposition spike is seen in the phase curves of these asteroids. This seems to certify that opposition spike is mainly a property of high-albedo asteroids and planetary satellites.

Photoelectric photometry of four mainbelt asteroids and the Apollo asteroid 1866 Sisyphus was carried out with the 50 cm ESO and the 60 cm Bochum telescopes at ESO, La Silla, Chile. Rotation periods for 323 Brucia (9 h 46 ± 0.01), 350 Ornamenta (9 h 17 ± 0.01), 582 Olympia (36 h 0 ± 0.1), 1021 Flammario (12 h 14 ± 0.01) and 1866 Sisyphus (2 h 400 ± 0.003) are determined for the first time. Composite lightcurves are presented, and mean UBV colours and reduced magnitudes are given. Asteroid 1866 Sisyphus is extremely fast spinning, whereas 582 Olympia is very slowly rotating