Exoplanet Edu

Discovery of planets outside our solar system, known as extra-solar planets or exoplanets for short, has been at the forefront of astronomical research for over 25 years. Reports of new discoveries have almost become routine; however, the excitement surrounding them has not. Amazingly, as ground-breaking as exoplanet science is, the basic physics is quite accessible.

Exoplanet Edu gives students and teachers the opportunity to explore the mathematics and science of searching for exo-solar planets. Students are able to generate synthetic radial velocity and transit data, create results for user-defined systems, and take quizzes to test their abilities to analyze observations. Teachers are able to generate worksheets and export csv-formatted data for use in classroom activities.

For those unfamiliar with exoplanet analysis techniques, the app contains a section fully describing the mathematics of exoplanet astronomy, accessible to anyone familiar with basic high school physics.