Member of the Month

In every Exoplanet Watch Monthly Newsletter, we highlight a "Member of the Month". If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else, please reach out to us on Slack or email us at exoplanetwatch@jpl.nasa.gov. To sign up for the Monthly Newsletters, please follow the instructions here.

September 2023 Member of the Month

Heather Hewitt

Ph.D. Candidate at Arizona State University

What kind of telescope do you use to observe exoplanets?

I mostly use data from Cecilia, part of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard-Smithsonian's MicroObservatory robotic telescope network. I have also used data from the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) on Gemini-South.

What inspires you about studying exoplanets?

It is fascinating to study worlds that are so different from our own, especially Hot Jupiters. It still amazes me how much information we can learn about worlds so far away. Additionally, the topic of exoplanets is really exciting to the public; I think it's a great medium to teach the public about astronomy and get them excited about science.

What inspires you about participating in citizen science?

Citizen science is so important in all disciplines. Since I began working with Exoplanet Watch, I have been amazed by how effective citizen science is at breaking down barriers to help make scientific research accessible to more people. In addition, the work done by citizen scientists has HUGE impacts on the broader scientific community!

How did you get started studying exoplanets?

I actually got involved in exoplanet research through the astronomy education research that I do. I have worked with my advisor, Molly Simon, to develop and implement one of the first Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) for online astronomy majors. In this course, students work with Exoplanet Watch to update the mid-transit time and period for a Hot Jupiter. Before starting this project, I had never done exoplanet research, but now I spend a good chunk of my time doing it! In addition to the work I do with my students and Exoplanet Watch, I have also worked with high-resolution data to characterize the atmospheres of Hot Jupiters.

What else would you like us to know about you?

I am so grateful for the time I have spent working with Exoplanet Watch and the research projects we've done with them! When I'm not doing astronomy education or exoplanet research, you can find me cuddling with my two cats or hiking somewhere is Arizona.

You can read our Members of the Month on our Community Highlights webpage.