2 min read<\/p>\n
Arizona Students Go on an Exoplanet Watch\u00a0<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/asu-exoplanets-heather-hewitt.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nThe instructor, teaching assistant, and students from the online exoplanet research course meeting synchronously via Zoom.
\nFrom left to right and top to bottom: Suber Corley, Molly Simon (instructor), Kimberly Merriam, Bradley Hutson, Elizabeth Catogni, Heather Hewitt (teaching assistant), Steve Marquez-Perez, Fred Noguer, Matthew Rice, Ty Perry, Mike Antares, Zachary Ruybal, Chris Kight, Kellan Reagan.<\/div>\nCredit: Image collected by Molly Simon<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nExoplanets, planets outside of our own solar system, hold the keys to finding extraterrestrial life and understanding the origin of our own world. Now\u00a0online\u00a0students at Arizona State University (ASU) in a new course called\u00a0Exoplanet Research Experience<\/a>\u00a0have become exoplanet scientists by taking part in NASA\u2019s Exoplanet Watch project.\u00a0<\/p>\nFifteen students from ASU\u2019s Astronomical and Planetary Sciences\u00a0online\u00a0degree program enroll in this course each year. These students analyze data on transits, events where the exoplanets block some of the light from their host stars. Each week, the class meets via Zoom to discuss progress, answer questions, and go over assignments. Students begin\u00a0by completing a module from an online astrobiology course called Habitable Worlds, which is supported by\u00a0NASA\u2019s Infiniscope project<\/a>.\u00a0During the last 5 weeks of the course, students work to consolidate their work into a paper draft that is later submitted to a peer-reviewed journal with all of the students listed as co-authors.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cI think [the class] changed the course of my life\u2026\u201d said one student. \u201cNot just in my confidence, but just knowing that people in the field have my back\u2026I have tremendous support from them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis course definitely helped kind of show what exactly scientists do and what the expectation is\u2026especially for an online program, to have research opportunities is a great help\u2026\u201d another student said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After participating in the course, students have gone on to participate in other research experiences, write their own first-author papers, participate in internships, and present their research at national astronomy conferences.\u00a0\u00a0An assessment of student outcomes was\u00a0recently published<\/a>\u00a0in the Physics Review Physics Education Research Journal.<\/p>\nYou don\u2019t need to go to ASU to do real exoplanet research. Anyone can help collect and analyze exoplanet data through Exoplanet Watch, whether you own a telescope or just want to help analyze data. Visit the\u00a0NASA Exoplanet Watch website<\/a>\u00a0to get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShare<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/asu-exoplanets-heather-hewitt.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nFrom left to right and top to bottom: Suber Corley, Molly Simon (instructor), Kimberly Merriam, Bradley Hutson, Elizabeth Catogni, Heather Hewitt (teaching assistant), Steve Marquez-Perez, Fred Noguer, Matthew Rice, Ty Perry, Mike Antares, Zachary Ruybal, Chris Kight, Kellan Reagan.<\/div>\n
Exoplanets, planets outside of our own solar system, hold the keys to finding extraterrestrial life and understanding the origin of our own world. Now\u00a0online\u00a0students at Arizona State University (ASU) in a new course called\u00a0Exoplanet Research Experience<\/a>\u00a0have become exoplanet scientists by taking part in NASA\u2019s Exoplanet Watch project.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fifteen students from ASU\u2019s Astronomical and Planetary Sciences\u00a0online\u00a0degree program enroll in this course each year. These students analyze data on transits, events where the exoplanets block some of the light from their host stars. Each week, the class meets via Zoom to discuss progress, answer questions, and go over assignments. Students begin\u00a0by completing a module from an online astrobiology course called Habitable Worlds, which is supported by\u00a0NASA\u2019s Infiniscope project<\/a>.\u00a0During the last 5 weeks of the course, students work to consolidate their work into a paper draft that is later submitted to a peer-reviewed journal with all of the students listed as co-authors.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think [the class] changed the course of my life\u2026\u201d said one student. \u201cNot just in my confidence, but just knowing that people in the field have my back\u2026I have tremendous support from them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis course definitely helped kind of show what exactly scientists do and what the expectation is\u2026especially for an online program, to have research opportunities is a great help\u2026\u201d another student said.\u00a0<\/p>\n After participating in the course, students have gone on to participate in other research experiences, write their own first-author papers, participate in internships, and present their research at national astronomy conferences.\u00a0\u00a0An assessment of student outcomes was\u00a0recently published<\/a>\u00a0in the Physics Review Physics Education Research Journal.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to go to ASU to do real exoplanet research. Anyone can help collect and analyze exoplanet data through Exoplanet Watch, whether you own a telescope or just want to help analyze data. Visit the\u00a0NASA Exoplanet Watch website<\/a>\u00a0to get started!<\/p>\nShare<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n