nora eisner
exoplanets detection and characterisation 

Welcome to my site! I'm an astrophysicist working on detecting and characterising unique exoplanets that are otherwise overlooked. I'm currently a Flatiron Research Fellow in NYC, and spend part of my time at Princeton University as a Henry Norris Russell Fellow.  

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What do I work on? My research focuses on citizen-powered exoplanet discoveries using TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) data via Planet Hunters TESS. As the leader of this exciting project I collate the returns from the citizen science campaigns, analyse them, and following-up on the most promising detections using ground based facilities. The analysis of the extremely large time-series data sets has a strong emphasis on applying various statistical processes, as well as using machine learning in order detect exciting new planet systems that were missed by the main pipelines and other teams of professional astronomers. With this method we find a large number of planet candidates that are quantifiably different to the ones found by automated searches, including longer period planets, planets around variable stars and planets around older stars. We also find a large number of interesting and unique stellar systems that put our theoretical understanding of how stars form and evolve to the test!

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Beyond the science: I want to make exoplanet science more accessible to the public. Beyond the Planet Hunters TESS citizen science project, I collaborate with a team at NASA Ames to provide tools and knowledge on how to conduct exoplanet science. Beyond that, I like to explore our own world by cycling across countries and hiking up mountains.  

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Expertise: Exoplanet hunting, citizen science, characterisation, ground-based follow-up.