preliminary identification of possible star candidates starts at the haleakala telescope in hawaii by a team of professional astronomers. once they identify a star that dims slightly from time to time, the information is forwarded to a team of amateur astronomers who then investigate for additional evidence suggesting this dimming is caused by a transiting planet. once enough data is collected, it is forwarded to the university of texas mcdonald observatory to confirm the presence of a transiting planet by a second team of professional astronomers.