Daniel Oconner Peluso

Background

About Daniel Oconner Peluso

I am an astrophysics PhD candidate at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ), Affiliate Researcher at the SETI Institute, and Astronomy Modeling Instruction course developer, researcher, and instructor with the American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA) and University of Pacific. I live in the Bay Area, California. My research synergizes rigorous astrophysics and citizen science, utilizing observations and data from professional telescopes like the Lick Nickel Telescope, Automated Planet Finder (APF), and Keck, while also tapping into citizen science collected data from the Unistellar Exoplanet Campaign—a network I had a strategic hand in developing. Our work with Unistellar has demonstrated the efficacy of citizen science-operated Unistellar eVscopes in providing crucial follow-up data, exemplified by updating the orbital parameters of Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) planet candidates like TOI 3799.01, refining the mid-transit time for TOI 2031.01, and capturing the longest transit captured by ground-based telescopes with Kepler-167 e. This underscores the strategic advantage of a globally distributed citizen science network, particularly its capability to capture extended transit photometry data across various time zones. Building on this, my forthcoming first-author publication employs both Doppler and transit methodologies, merging professional and citizen science data, to confirm one of the densest warm sub-Saturn exoplanets ever observed. While my primary focus lies in exoplanet research, I also contribute to astronomy education research and outreach. With the AMTA, I develop inquiry-based curricula that connect classroom learning to real-world scientific investigations using Modeling Instruction Astronomy pedagogy, where students and teachers learn by doing and participate in exoplanet data collection and analysis. See Modeling Instruction Astrophysics to learn more and to take our workshop. Aside from my academic pursuits, I am an active singer-songwriter and musician, with several professional releases that have gained regional and national attention through projects like Falling Andes and Conner Eko. As I approach the submission of my Ph.D. thesis in fall 2023, I look forward to an exciting future that blends my passions for both astrophysical research and educational outreach.