Ground-based K-band detection of thermal emission from the exoplanet TrES-3b

Context. Secondary eclipse measurements of transiting extrasolar planets with the Spitzer Space Telescope have yielded several direct detections of thermal exoplanet light. Since Spitzer operates at wavelengths longward of 3.6 μm, arguably one of the most interesting parts of the planet spectrum (from 1 to 3 μm) is inaccessible with this satellite. This region is at the peak of the planet's spectral energy distribution and is also the regime where molecular absorption bands can significantly influence the measured emission.