Pointing terms reduce the lost-light offset of the KIC 10484683 Kepler dip to the tested control scale

We test the source position of a known comet-like dip of KIC 10484683 in Kepler quarter 3, release 25. We fit a fixed dip profile to each collected pixel with local time and pointing terms. Six fits without pointing give lost-light offsets of 0.34 to 1.38 pixels from the baseline image center. Six fits with pointing give offsets of 0.051 to 0.100 pixels. The main fit gives 0.054 pixel and an aperture depth of 1419 parts per million. At ten other times, target-image injections give offsets of 0.023 to 0.099 pixel with pointing terms. All 40 tests with images shifted by half a pixel give larger offsets, from 0.308 to 0.635 pixel. Thus the small event offset is at the tested control scale. The large offset without pointing is not stable evidence for a separate source. These are restricted image tests, not source validation or independent confirmation. An unresolved blend, image model error, and a non-comet cause remain possible. We report no new object. Code, source hashes, all fits, residual samples, control tests, and figures are included.

astronomy · Kepler · KIC 10484683 · exocomet candidate · difference image · pointing · source location