Growing Worlds

After 13 episodes exploring exoplanets and the people behind the science, we close our first season by stepping behind the scenes with our assistant producer Carys joining us at the mic. We look back at our favourite moments, share our own journeys into science, and finally answer the Celestial Self question ourselves.

Explore the fascinating details of JWST as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo chat with Dr Achrène Dyrek . From her engineering degree to her found love for astronomy during her studies, listen as Achrène takes you on the journey to her inspiring role at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Discover the engineering marvels behind the making and maintenance of the space telescope, along with the challenges a...

Join hosts Jeni and Lorenzo as they chat with Dr Andrea Bocchieri , telescope scientist for ESA’s Ariel mission and future ESA system engineer. Andrea shares his journey into exoplanet science and takes us behind the scenes of preparing a space telescope to study the atmospheres of distant worlds. From spectroscopy and telescope stability to Lagrange points and exoplanet populations, this episode...

Join hosts Jeni and Lorenzo as they chat with Angèle Syty , a PhD student at the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris working on data processing for the Ariel mission. Angèle takes us behind the scenes of exoplanet atmosphere observations, focusing on the importance of understanding systematics. Angèle shares how her work models the real-life behaviour of Ariel’s detectors, ensuring that panoramic sp...

Discover more about how high-resolution spectroscopy can catch a glimpse of alien worlds amongst exoplanets with Dr Mattia d’Arpa . Join your hosts, Jeni and Lorenzo , for an interesting discussion about the mysteries of exoplanet atmospheres and the complexities of ground-based observations. Beginning his deep curiosity for science in high school, Mattia is now a postdoctoral researcher at the In...

Learn about the importance of science outreach as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo chat with Dr. Alex Thompson , a Postdoc at UCL’s department of physics and astronomy. Alex is soon moving to INAF Astronomical Observatory of Palermo and enlightens us of her contribution to ORBYTS, a programme that connects school students to real astrophysics research. Alex shares her career story, from her undergraduate de...

Do you want to get involved in real exoplanet research? Listen as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo are joined with Anastasia Kokori , a PhD candidate in Exoplanetary Science at University College London. Anastasia is the coordinator of ExoClock and ExoClock Unlocked, an international effort that brings together professional astronomers, students, and amateur observers to monitor exoplanet transits and add t...

Dr Raissa Estrela from NASA's JPL explains how exoplanet observations reveal clues to Earth’s past and perfect balance. Your hosts, Jeni and Lorenzo , chat with Raissa about exoplanet spectra, through which scientists can decode the fingerprints of distant atmospheres, revealing chemical compositions, evolutionary stages, and even parallels to early Earth. These comparisons act as the perfect ‘tex...

Bring yourself back to Earth through an inspiring chat with Dr Giulia Roccetti , an ESA research fellow at the European Space Astronomy Centre in Madrid. Hosts Jeni and Lorenzo join Giulia for a discussion about the innovative approach of using Earth as a proxy for exoplanet research through the investigation of Earthshine. Giulia ’s journey started from her ever-present passion for environmental...

Explore the science of one of the trickier components of exoplanet science: clouds, as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo are joined by Dr Sushuang Ma , a researcher at King’s College London. Sushuang ’s work centres on modelling and retrieving exoplanetary atmospheres. She shares the significance of temperature and the role it plays in determining the interesting characteristics of clouds, which are not the...

Explore the dark side of stars with Dr Mayuko Mori , a postdoctoral researcher at the Astrobiology Centre in Tokyo. Listen as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo chat with Mayuko about star spots and their significance in exoplanet characterisation. These cooler, darker areas on the surface of a star can lead to potentially misleading discoveries, and therefore, expanding our understanding is crucial for enhan...

Join us for a deep dive inside stars as hosts Jeni and Lorenzo chat with Dr. Gael Buldgen , a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Liège. Gael studies stellar oscillations and probes the internal structure of stars with exquisite precision. He enlightens us about the intricate connection between stars and their exoplanets, capturing the importance of understanding stellar properties for ch...

Explore the diversity of rocky planets with Dr Oliver Herbort , an Ariel Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Vienna. Hosts Jeni and Lorenzo chat with Oliver about what makes each planet unique, from atmospheric chemistry to the nature of its surface.  Oliver reflects on how a lifelong fascination with astronomy led him to study rocky exoplanets, developing models that link atmospheric process...

In this launch of Growing Worlds , hosts Jeni Millard and Lorenzo Mugnai chat with Dr Camilla Pezzotti about the bond between stars and planets. Listen as Camilla guides us through the intricate journey from the birth of stars from gas clouds to the fully formed celestial bodies, beautifully illustrating how the digital world can be used to unravel their mysteries.  She draws us in with her admira...

Growing Worlds is a podcast where exoplanet science meets human stories, told through conversations with early-career researchers. In this short introduction, hosts Dr Jenifer Millard and Dr Lorenzo Mugnai are joined by assistant producer Carys Townsend to share what each episode has in store. You will hear a wide range of topics related to our understanding of other worlds, alongside the personal...