Exoplanets:
What They Are and How to Find Them
In this talk Tom Traub, president of the Martz-Kohl Observatory, explores the history, science, and ongoing discovery of exoplanets—planets existing beyond our solar system. He begins by charting mankind’s age-old quest to understand other worlds, tracing our perspective back thousands of years from ancient lunar observations and the “wandering stars” tracked by the Mayans and Babylonians, up through the revolutionary shifts of Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler. The presentation frames modern exoplanetary research as the evolution of this historical journey, addressing the enduring question of whether Earth is entirely unique or common in the universe.
Tom details how astronomers detect these far-off worlds despite the immense challenge of finding dim objects next to incredibly bright stars. He explains the core detection methods used today, including astrometry, gravitational microlensing, and checking for radial velocity shifts (redshifts and blueshifts) in a star’s spectrum caused by the gravitational wobble of an orbiting planet. The presentation also touches on rogue planets—untethered worlds drifting freely through the galaxy —and emphasizes the profound spike in discoveries, with more than 6,000 exoplanets currently confirmed.
A firm believer in the power of citizen science, Tom collaborated on the 2025 discovery of the exoplanet Wolf 327b, proving that dedicated local observers can make a global impact. As a NASA Eclipse Ambassador, he led the observatory’s extensive outreach program for the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024. His distinguished background includes leadership roles in the Astronomical League and contributions to NASA’s Transient Lunar Phenomena Observations. An avid “eclipse chaser” and educator, Tom has taught at Jamestown Community College and remains a member of several international astronomical associations. For Tom, the greatest reward is bringing the night sky to life for students and the public, sharing the knowledge he has gathered over a lifetime of looking upward.
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