Watcher of the Month

Watchers can apply/nominate others for a chance to be featured here as well as in our monthly newsletter. To sign up for the monthly newsletters, subscribe in the sidebar or follow the instructions here.

Darcy Wenn

Student, Pilot and Amateur Astronomer - Australia

What kind of telescope do you use to observe exoplanets?

Primarily, I use a Planewave CDK 17" with an SBIG STX-16803 at my old high school, ELTHAM College in Melbourne, Australia. It's a remote observatory as part of the Photon Ranch Telescope Network that allows me, the students I work with, and my peers at Exoplanet Watch to access remote observatories worldwide for free. I'm also extremely lucky to have access to the Las Cumbres Observatory Network, which allows me to access the 0.4m (15.7") telescopes and their QHY 600 CMOS cameras.

What inspires you about studying exoplanets particularly through citizen science?

For me, the inspiration is knowing that I am helping to contribute to something bigger than myself and to discover things about the universe that, until now, have remained unknown to humankind. I have helped to discover properties of exoplanets that were previously unknown and have been lucky enough to contribute to the legacy of space exploration in a small way. That is a feeling that I haven't been able to find anywhere else, and it's exciting knowing that someday when humanity ventures to the stars that you and the community you're a part of helped to pave the way for those who come after us.

What else would you like us to know about you?

This community has inspired me to pursue Astrophysics as a field of study at university, and hopefully, one day, I'll be able to contribute to the future of human space flight in a meaningful way. Until then, when I'm not researching for Exoplanet Watch or studying for university, you'll find me in the air flying a Piper Warrior or camping in the Australian bush under the stars.