Discovering and Characterizing Exoplanets with the SCALES Instrument

Based on population statistics, astronomers think our galaxy contains ~100 billion exoplanets (planets that orbit other stars besides our Sun). To date, we’ve found more than 5,000 exoplanets, only ~25 of which have been directly imaged. Scientists and instrumentalists at Keck and other observatories around the world design and build instruments to discover and characterize the missing billions of planets, filling in our understanding of how planets form and evolve.

Isabel works on an exoplanet imaging instrument called SCALES (the Slicer Combined with an Array of Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy). SCALES is a thermal infrared, fully cryogenic coronagraphic imager and integral field spectrograph, that will sit behind the Keck II Telescope adaptive optics system. SCALES is currently in its construction phase, with commissioning slated to begin in Fall of 2025. Isabel will give an overview of the instrument design and primary science drivers, and talk through construction progress, with fun lab pictures!