PhD student shares exoplanet research on national TV

Larissa Palethorpe discusses the mysteries about exoplanets on BBC Four programme.

A School of Physics and Astronomy PhD student has brought their cutting-edge research to a national audience, appearing on the BBC science programme The Sky at Night to discuss their work on exoplanets.

Larissa Palethorpe, a doctoral researcher spoke about how her research is helping to uncover the mysteries of planets orbiting distant stars and what these worlds could tell us about the potential for life beyond Earth.

The episode ‘Exoplanets – Strange New Worlds’ broadcast on 14 July, showcases Larissa discussing the mystery of the exoplanet radius valley, along with presenter Maggie Aderin-Pocock, and what these findings mean for our understanding of the universe. Larissa also shares information on the discovery of exoplanet Gliese 12 b which she co-led last year.

Speaking after the broadcast, Larissa Palethorpe said:

Being able to communicate my research to a wider audience was a real honour and a dream come true!