Recently , mid-infrared Spitzer observations have been presented that show the light decrement due to the passage of a planet behind its host star .
These measurements of HD209458b and TrES-1 are the first detections of direct light from an extra-solar planet .
Interpretation of these results in terms of planet equipartition temperature and bond albedo is however strongly model dependent and require additional observations at shorter wavelengths .
Here we report on two attempts to detect the secondary eclipse of HD209458b from the ground in K-band , using the UK InfraRed Telescope ( UKIRT ) .
A photometry precision of 0.12 % relative to two nearby reference stars was reached during both occasions , but no firm detection of the eclipses were obtained .
The first observation shows a flux decrement of - 0.13 \pm 0.18 % , and the second of - 0.10 \pm 0.10 % .
A detailed description of the observing strategy , data reduction and analysis is given , and a discussion on how the precision in ground-based K-band photometry could be further improved .
In addition we show that the relative photometry between the target and the reference stars between the two epochs is consistent down to the < 0.1 % level , which is interesting in the light of possible near-infrared surveys to search for transiting planets around M and L dwarfs .