UBC Planet Hunter Takes Beaker Banter Listeners Across the Galaxy
UBC astronomer Dr. Michelle Kunimoto discusses her work in exoplanet research and her role in NASA's TESS mission on the 'Beaker Banter' podcast. The episode explores the search for habitable worlds and the challenges of processing massive amounts of astronomical data.
Why it matters
Public engagement with space science helps foster interest in STEM fields and provides context for ongoing efforts to understand planetary formation.
August 24, 2026 by Techcouver Newsdesk Leave a Comment
A University of British Columbia astronomer who has identified thousands of possible worlds beyond our solar system is the featured guest on the latest episode of Innovation UBC’s Beaker Banter podcast .
Dr. Michelle Kunimoto joins host Dr. Marissa Lithopoulos for A Planet Hunter’s Guide to the Galaxy, a wide-ranging conversation about exoplanets, the search for habitable environments, and what distant worlds might reveal about our place in the universe.
Kunimoto is an assistant professor in UBC’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree. Across her planet-hunting work, she has identified more than 3,000 planet candidates.
Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars beyond our solar system. By finding and studying large numbers of them, astronomers can begin to understand how planetary systems form, how diverse they are, and how frequently potentially habitable environments might occur.
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