exoplanets

The Weather on Distant Worlds

Posted by admin on December 17, 2025

Posted in: Research. Tagged: exoplanets, Kepler mission.

Simulated clouds rotating in and out of view on a hot Jupiter.

Planetary phase curves (light reflected and emitted by the planet as it orbits its star) can provide insight into atmospheric processes, and the Kepler Mission’s observational baseline spanning hundreds of days for some planets makes its dataset especially well suited to search for phase curve variability, diagnostic of meteorology as advective processes sweep thermal structures and aerosols into and out of view. This project involves analysis of archival Kepler data to understand the weather on these distant worlds.

Jackson et al. (2018) – “Searching for Eclipse Variability for Kepler-76 b in the Kepler Dataset” – DPS Presentation
Jackson et al. (2019) – “A Search Variability in the Atmosphere of the Hot Jupiter Kepler-76 b” – LPSC Presentation
Jackson et al. (2019) – “Variability in the Atmosphere of the Hot Jupiter Kepler-76b” – ApJ article

PLANETSCI 9603: Introduction to Planetary Sciences – Exoplanets

Posted by admin on August 24, 2025

Posted in: Teaching. Tagged: astronomy, close-in exoplanets, exoplanets.

University of Tokyo – 2025 Jun 10

Posted by admin on June 8, 2025

Posted in: Brian's Presentations, Research. Tagged: dust devils, exoplanet transit, exoplanets, Mars.

Centennial High School Visit – 2024 Nov 7

Posted by admin on November 7, 2024

Posted in: Public Outreach. Tagged: AGN, exoplanets, Mars.

Citizen Science in Astronomy

Posted by admin on September 4, 2024

Posted in: First Friday Astronomy, Public Outreach. Tagged: citizen science, exoplanets.

On August 21st 2017 a total solar eclipse crossed the USA from coast to coast. The Citizen CATE Experiment used a fleet of telescopes to observe the solar corona during this spectacular event. From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIII0aOZ4UA.

Among different fields of science, astronomy has a unique history of citizen science projects. In the last few decades, the advent of user-friendly software and web infrastructure, as well as off-the-shelf research-grade instrumentation, has led to a golden age of citizen science astronomy. Opportunities for amateurs to contribute meaningfully to astronomical research have never been more plentiful.

Using Color to Tell False Planets from Real

Posted by admin on March 28, 2024

Posted in: BSU Journal Club, Research. Tagged: close-in exoplanets, exoplanets, TESS Mission.

Distant Worlds: Astronomy Research & Citizen Science at Boise State

Posted by admin on February 3, 2024

Posted in: Public Outreach. Tagged: astronomy, exoplanets, Mars.

An exceptional infrared transient from a star
engulng a planet

Posted by admin on January 18, 2024

Posted in: Research. Tagged: exoplanets, tidal disruption.

De2023_EngulfedPlanet Download

How Will JWST Study Exoplanets?

Posted by admin on July 6, 2023

Posted in: First Friday Astronomy, Public Outreach. Tagged: exoplanets, JWST, transit spectroscopy.

From https://webbtelescope.org/resource-gallery/articles. (This is a slightly updated reprint of an article originally run Nov 2021.)

An artist’s concept of the Webb Space Telescope. From https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/james-webb-space-telescope/in-depth/.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scheduled to launch on December 18, will primarily use its spectrographs – specialized instruments that capture and spread out light like a rainbow – to study exoplanets. By analyzing this data, known as spectra, researchers will be able to measure exoplanets’ compositions and chemistries. Spectra will help refine what we know about any exoplanet Webb observes, including massive gas giants, mid-sized ice giants, and smaller rocky exoplanets (some of which could be similar to Earth). In a few cases, JWST will deliver images of exoplanets to reveal more about them.