τ Boo b: Not so bright, but just as heavy

We present new results derived from high-resolution optical spectra of the τ Boo system, secured in March-May 2000. The results do not show the same feature reported by Cameron et al (1999) as a candidate reflected-light signature from the planet. Together with earlier results from the 1998 and 1999 seasons, the new data yield a 99.9% upper limit on the opposition planet/star flux ratio ∊ −5 between 387.4 and 586.3 nm, a factor 3 deeper than the upper limit of Charbonneau et al (1999). For an assumed planet radius R p = 1.2 R J , the upper limit on the mean geometric albedo is p