Daniel O. Peluso, PhD

In February 2024, I received my PhD in astrophysics from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ). My PhD thesis by publication was entitled, Democratizing & Enhancing Exoplanet Research with the Unistellar Citizen Science Network & Astronomy Modeling Instruction [1]. Currently, I am an Affiliate Researcher at the SETI Institute, and Astronomy Modeling Instruction course developer, researcher, and instructor with the American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA) and University of Pacific, as well as Astrophysics Teacher at Griffin High School (Vallejo, CA) and at Napa Valley College (Napa, CA). I live in the Bay Area, California.

My research synergizes rigorous astrophysics and citizen science, utilizing observations and data from professional telescopes like the Lick Nickel Telescope, Automated Planet Finder (APF), and Keck, while also tapping into citizen science collected data from the Unistellar Exoplanet Campaign (this paper is my first published first-author paper)—a network I had a strategic hand in developing. Our work with Unistellar has demonstrated the efficacy of citizen science-operated Unistellar eVscopes in providing crucial follow-up data, exemplified by updating the orbital parameters of Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) planet candidates like TOI 3799.01, refining the mid-transit time for TOI 2031.01, and capturing the longest transit captured by ground-based telescopes with Kepler-167 e. This underscores the strategic advantage of a globally distributed citizen science network, particularly its capability to capture extended transit photometry data across various time zones. Building on this, my forthcoming first-author publication recently accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal (AJ) for release in early 2024 employs both Doppler and transit methodologies, merging professional and citizen science data, to confirm one of the densest warm sub-Saturn exoplanets ever observed and has 16 high school student co-authors for their contributed data.

While my primary focus lies in exoplanet research, I also contribute to astronomy education research and outreach. With the AMTA, I develop inquiry-based curricula that connect classroom learning to real-world scientific investigations using Modeling Instruction Astronomy pedagogy, where students and teachers learn by doing and participate in exoplanet data collection and analysis. This work combines the education efforts of Global Hands-On Universe (GHOU) with Modeling Instruction in a new AMTA teacher workshop called "Astronomy Modeling with Exoplanets" (AME). In a mixed methods research study on AME, we find that teachers with little or no prior background in astronomy or astrophysics are able to conduct astronomical observations, perform photometry on astronomical data sets, and include more astrophysics in their high school level courses than many college-level introductory astronomy courses. See Modeling Instruction Astrophysics to learn more and to take our workshop.

Currently, in addition to teaching both high school and college-level astronomy, I am looking for postdoctoral research fellowships or other opportunities so that I can continue to work in exoplanet and citizen science research. I am also interested in roles at organizations that are fully dedicated to conducting astronomy outreach. Both of these possibilities excite me! Other research avenues that I am interested in exploring further include the realm of astronomical data sonification, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and technosignatures, and how data from the cosmos can turn into sound and music for improved scientific research, outreach, and art. As an active singer-songwriter and music producer with successful music projects like Falling Andes and Conner Eko, I hope such efforts with data sonification can help to amalgamate my passions for something truly unique in the world of science and music.

I look forward to an exciting future that blends my passions for both astrophysics research, outreach, and music.

[1] My PhD thesis by publication included three first-author papers. Two of the three papers of my thesis have been published or were accepted and put into production for publication in major astronomical journals before my PhD was awarded. The third paper of my PhD is currently in peer-review. See publications for more info.