Dr. Catherine A. Clark

Introduction

I began my academic career at the University of Michigan, where I completed my Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics, as well as in Spanish.

In 2017 I moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, to pursue my PhD in Astronomy and Planetary Science at Northern Arizona University (NAU). I completed my dissertation work at Lowell Observatory, where I investigated M-dwarf multiplicity and its effect on planetary system architectures and occurrence rates using high-resolution imaging with Dr. Gerard van Belle. During this time I also completed a Graduate Certificate in Science Communication.

In 2022 I moved to Pasadena, California, to begin my work as a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Postdoctoral Fellow. In this role I sought to characterize the planets of multi-star systems to investigate how they differ from single-star systems like our own with Dr. David Ciardi.

I now work as a Scientific Outreach coordinator at the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI). In this role I help manage the partnership between NASA and Keck Observatory, run the Sagan summer workshop, facilitate the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program, and represent NExScI at conferences and online.

I am interested in binaries, exoplanet hosts, low-mass stars, and instrumentation!

My Work

My research is focused on the intersection between stellar astrophysics, exoplanet science, and astronomical instrumentation. In particular, I seek to characterize multi-star systems and the planets they host in order to understand how these system architectures and occurrence rates differ from those in single star systems. A copy of my CV can be viewed here (updated 9/3/24).

The Sun Is Lonely

While the Sun is rather average in many ways, it is unlike a large number of stars in our galaxy in one way in particular: the Sun is lonely. We now know that roughly half of solar-type stars in the Milky Way host a stellar companion, that these planets can orbit both stellar components, and that planets can orbit both stars at once! Therefore, when we ignore the un-Sun-like stars of multi-star systems -- and thus their un-Earth-like planets -- we fail to understand half of the galactic picture! As a result, my scientific goal is to understand how the Tatooines of the galaxy came to be.

The Search for
Tatooine

In order to search for these Tatooines, I use high-resolution techniques such as speckle interferometry and adaptive optics to image multi-star systems on the highest spatial scales. I also use archival data from the ExoFOP and the Exoplanet Archive to investigate planetary properties, architectures, and occurrence rates. Ultimately, these observations help me understand how Tatooine-like systems differ from those like our Solar System!

About Me

I was born in Denver, Colorado, and lived there until I moved to Michigan to begin my undergraduate studies. I have always had a fondness for the mountains, and I love that I can ski and hike around Pasadena, just like at home. The San Gabriel Mountains are ALMOST as beautiful as the Rocky Mountains!

I also have a love of photography, and have tried my best to image the beautiful scenery that has surrounded me over the years. Recently, I have delved into the world of astrophotography. Take a look around my website to see some of these images!

Contact Me

• Twitter
• Email

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