Maria Mitchell Association Science Speaker Series: Exoplanets: Where They Are and How You Can Help Find Them

Exoplanets: Where They Are and How You Can Help Find Them

Considering the immense size and scale of our own solar system, one would expect that finding planets around other stars, or exoplanets, would be nearly impossible. However, over the past few decades, astronomers have developed many amazing techniques for accomplishing this task. In this talk, Lark will discuss these techniques, and describe the method used to aid in the search for exoplanets. He will also describe how you can get involved in helping NASA discover exoplanets using your own backyard telescope!

Dr. Adam Lark is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Physics Department at Hamilton College and the Director of the Peters Observatory. He earned his doctorate at the University of Toledo researching discovery-based learning in physics laboratories and globular clusters detection techniques. Using the modest telescope at the Peters Observatory, Lark aids in the search for exoplanets through NASA’s TESS follow-up exoplanet observation program.