Welcome!

Aspiring astrophysicist based in New Hampshire, US

I am studying Astronomical and Planetary Sciences at Arizona State University with a minor in Physics. After graduation, my plans are to pursue my PhD, concentrating my studies around the formation of exoplanets.

Areas of Interest

I started my career as a software developer in the Java language, having been mostly self-taught. I have been in the software development industry for more than 25 years now, and I want to branch out. With the new space and ground based telescopes planned to come online over the next few years, the need for software, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms, that can help scientists make sense of all that data promises for an interesting intersection between my past, and my future.

My research interests lie in exoplanet formation, after having taken a "Habitable Worlds" course at Arizona State University, where the final project was given a simulated galaxy of few thousand stars, use the tools and methods covered within the course to search those stars for ones that host an exoplanet. Once those were identified, determine if the exoplanet was within the habitable zone of the star, and further if the exoplanet was likely a rocky world with median temperatures conducive to the evolution of life. There were three (3) hidden in this simulated galaxy, and we had to find one (1).

  • Astronomy
  • Exoplanets
  • Python Development
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Citizen Science
  • Space Exploration

Research

NASA Exoplanet Watch

Citizen science project allowing contributors to analyze real data from exoplanet transits over the last 10 years gathered by Harvard's MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope Network (or your own telescope). The data is analyzed using the EXOTIC (EXOplanet Transit Interpretation Code program to produce light-curve diagrams and data from the transits. This data is then uploaded back to the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) for further use in scientific research. Credit is given to the observer if their data is used in scientific papers.

Harvard DIY Planet Search

Citizen science project through the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard and the Smithsonian using the same MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope Network to gather data on known exoplanet transits. This project allows contributors to schedule telescope time to collect transit data and provides an in-browser tool to analyze the FITS images and produce light-curves. These findings are then shared with scientists for further use in scientific research.