Searching for exoplanets requires extensive data mining and cross-checking to confirm discoveries.  It also requires proper assembly of search catalogs, along with visualization tools that can be used to sort through large numbers of potential planets. I will demonstrate several such tools developed for the exoplanet program at Vanderbilt, many of which can be easily repurposed for a wide range of astronomical and other scientific projects.

About the Speaker: Joshua Pepper is an astronomer in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Vanderbilt University. His research is on the discovery of extrasolar planets: planets that orbit stars other than our sun. The main focus of his research is the KELT project — a pair of small, wide-field telescopes that he is using to search for transiting planets around bright stars. Dr. Pepper received his Ph.D. from the Department of Astronomy at The Ohio State University. He received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University.