Course Goals & Objectives

Successful students in the class will:

• Understand how astronomers detect and characterize extrasolar planetary systems,

• Learn about the current state and future of exoplanet science,

• Increase their data acumen, and

• Appreciate how building data science skills can benefit astronomy & astrophysics research.

Learning Objectives

Successful students in the class will:

• Ingest and manipulate data from astronomical surveys.

• Quantitatively describe the effects of exoplanets on astronomical observations.

• Build, apply, assess and update astrophysically motivated models for astronomical observations.

• Create visualizations for exploratory and explanatory data analyses of observations from exoplanet surveys.

• Synthesize the above into a dashboard to support the efficient analysis of exoplanet observations while following principles of reproducible research.

Course Overview

Students will learn about techniques for detecting and characterizing extrasolar planetary systems, including the capabilities and challenges for the future of each method. Students will analyze astronomical data to detect and characterize exoplanets and their host stars. Along the way, students will build practical data science skills (e.g., querying astronomical databases, data storage and manipulation, data visualization, exploratory and explanatory data analysis, Bayesian modeling workflows, and reproducible research practices).