Stellar Active Latitudes Demonstrate the Solar Dynamo is not Universal

Although starspot coverage varies based on latitude, it is difficult to characterize the overall spot distribution from time-series photometry. Identifying and characterizing active latitudes will allow us to better understand stellar magnetic fields. Previously, data from the Kepler mission has been used to analyze individual transits of starspots by exoplanets. By folding the light curve and comparing the noise properties in- and out-of-transit across the Kepler observations, we can infer the level of inhomogeneity across individual transit chords. Using this analysis with multi-planet systems allows us to compare the amount of starspot coverage between the different transit chords of each planet, enabling us to identify systems with active latitudes and characterize their starspot distributions in detail. We have identified a sample of Sun-like stars with non-Solar starspot distributions, suggesting a variety of different stellar dynamos even among stars like the Sun.