APUS demonstrates that you don’t need to be in the same room

as others to make a meaningful contribution to science. The

university is transforming the way a non-traditional institution

connects students through its Exoplanet Research

Program, which offers professional, hands-on astronomical

research opportunities online, leading to the global effort to find

and characterize planets outside our Solar System.

 

Core activities and methodologies include:

• Transit Photometry: Primary method that involves measuring

       the slight dip in a star's brightness as a planet passes in front

       of it.

• Data Sourcing: Research targets are typically selected from

       NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) mission.

• Global Infrastructure: Students gain remote access to the Dr.  Wallace E. Boston Observatory and the iTelescope network, allowing them to control telescopes located across multiple continents.

• Software and Coding: Participants use professional tools such as AstroImageJ and NASA’s EXOTIC software, and perform analyses in Python-based environments to model stellar flux and quantify uncertainty.

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The program builds transferable STEM skills, such as:

• Technical Proficiency: Learning standard photometric calibrations (bias, dark, and flat-field corrections) and programming.

• Scientific Rigor: Engaging in internal peer reviews to evaluate each other’s data and findings against public datasets.

• Collaboration: Working in structured, remote teams that mirror the interdisciplinary nature of modern professional science.

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Click here to read the complete featured article on AMU Edge, authored by our own Nicholas Foley.​ Plus, check out the research program's website for more information. ​