Growing Worlds

What if we could actually see an exoplanet?

In this episode, Jeni and Lorenzo are joined by Dr Vito Squicciarini from the University of Exeter to explore direct imaging: how astronomers block out starlight to reveal young giant planets, what their infrared light can tell us about their atmospheres, and how future telescopes could bring us closer to imaging smaller worlds.

We also talk about HR 8799, Beta Pictoris and the discovery that became Vito’s Celestial Self.

And since recording, Beta Pictoris has gained another planet, a perfect reminder of how quickly this field moves.

Growing Worlds is back for Season 2! In this short bonus episode, hosts Jeni and Lorenzo look back at where Season 1 took us and share what is changing as we begin a new year of the podcast.

We welcome Robyn to the Growing Worlds team alongside assistant producer Carys, and reveal our plans to make the podcast more student-driven, bringing new people, ideas and voices into the show throughout the year.

The heart of Growing Worlds is not changing: we will still be exploring exoplanet science with early-career researchers from around the world, discovering the people behind the research and, of course, asking the all-important Celestial Self question.

Welcome back. Season 2 starts here.

After 13 episodes exploring exoplanets and the people behind the science, we close our first season by stepping behind the scenes with our assistant producer Carys joining us at the mic. We look back at our favourite moments, share our own journeys into science, and finally answer the Celestial Self question ourselves.

Explore the fascinating details of JWST as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo chat with Dr Achrène Dyrek. From her engineering degree to her found love for astronomy during her studies, listen as Achrène takes you on the journey to her inspiring role at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Discover the engineering marvels behind the making and maintenance of the space telescope, along with the challenges and surprises of the extraordinary JWST.

Join hosts Jeni and Lorenzo as they chat with Dr Andrea Bocchieri, telescope scientist for ESA’s Ariel mission and future ESA system engineer. Andrea shares his journey into exoplanet science and takes us behind the scenes of preparing a space telescope to study the atmospheres of distant worlds.

From spectroscopy and telescope stability to Lagrange points and exoplanet populations, this episode explores how Ariel will help transform our understanding of planets beyond the Solar System.

Join hosts Jeni and Lorenzo as they chat with Angèle Syty, a PhD student at the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris working on data processing for the Ariel mission. Angèle takes us behind the scenes of exoplanet atmosphere observations, focusing on the importance of understanding systematics. Angèle shares how her work models the real-life behaviour of Ariel’s detectors, ensuring that panoramic spectra truly reflect distant worlds and not instrumental artefacts.

Listen to Angèle’s story in the field, from admiring the night sky as a child to her current passion for the Ariel mission.  Learn about the collaborative nature of her work with engineers, and her excitement about contributing to groundbreaking exoplanet science.

Discover more about how high-resolution spectroscopy can catch a glimpse of alien worlds amongst exoplanets with Dr Mattia d’Arpa. Join your hosts, Jeni and Lorenzo, for an interesting discussion about the mysteries of exoplanet atmospheres and the complexities of ground-based observations.

Beginning his deep curiosity for science in high school, Mattia is now a postdoctoral researcher at the Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Palermo, where he contributes to several international collaborations using cutting-edge instruments and helps to bridge the gap between the precision of space-based telescopes and the spectral resolution achieved from the ground.

Learn about the importance of science outreach as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo chat with Dr. Alex Thompson, a Postdoc at UCL’s department of physics and astronomy. Alex is soon moving to INAF Astronomical Observatory of Palermo and enlightens us of her contribution to ORBYTS, a programme that connects school students to real astrophysics research.

Alex shares her career story, from her undergraduate degree to where she is today, showcasing her passion for outreach and shedding light on the found potential of school children apparent through outreach projects such as ORBYTS.

Listen in as we are reminded that science is a collaborative effort, and the scientific community is home to all.

Do you want to get involved in real exoplanet research? Listen as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo are joined with Anastasia Kokori, a PhD candidate in Exoplanetary Science at University College London. Anastasia is the coordinator of ExoClock and ExoClock Unlocked, an international effort that brings together professional astronomers, students, and amateur observers to monitor exoplanet transits and add to the development of exoplanet research. Anastasia tells her story, from a teacher in primary education to the exoplanet expert she is today and shares her incredible passion for science communication. She is an advocate for communicating science in a way that is accessible to all and ensures growth of the scientific community.

Listen to hear more about the exciting work of Anastasia and ExoClock and how you can make significant contributions to exoplanet understanding.  

Dr Raissa Estrela from NASA's JPL explains how exoplanet observations reveal clues to Earth’s past and perfect balance. Your hosts, Jeni and Lorenzo, chat with Raissa about exoplanet spectra, through which scientists can decode the fingerprints of distant atmospheres, revealing chemical compositions, evolutionary stages, and even parallels to early Earth. These comparisons act as the perfect ‘textbook’ for understanding how planets form, change, and sustain life. Ultimately, Raissa’s message is clear: by studying other worlds, we learn the value and fragility of our own.