Episode Topic: Eclipses in Outer Space

Lauren Weiss Ph.D., assistant professor of physics and astronomy, will explore how astrophysicists use eclipses of other stars to find new planets. Professor Weiss uses observational techniques to discover exoplanets, which are planets around other stars, and characterize their fundamental properties. Her goals are to understand the origin and evolution of planetary systems and assess whether some exoplanets could be habitable. One way to find planets around other stars in the universe is the eclipse transit method. It works for star-planet systems aligned in a way that, as seen from earth, the planet travels between us and the star, temporarily blocking some of the light from the star once every orbit.

Featured Speakers:

• Lauren Weiss Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Notre Dame.

Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: https://go.nd.edu/d00557. 

This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled Our Universe Revealed. 

Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career.

• Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu.
• Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.