Dr. Courtney Dressing

Biography

I am an observational astronomer focused on detecting and characterizing planetary systems orbiting nearby stars. I use both ground and space telescopes to search for planets, probe their atmospheres, measure their masses, and constrain their bulk compositions. My research is driven by curiosity about how planets form and evolve over time and the frequency of planetary systems within our Galaxy, as well as the prospects for detecting life on planets within our Solar System. The properties of planets are typically determined relative to their host stars. Accordingly, my research program includes using ground-based telescopes to estimate the sizes, masses, and temperatures of stars that harbor planetary systems. I am particularly interested in Red Dwarfs—stars that are significantly smaller than the Sun—because planets orbiting these stars are more detectable than those orbiting larger stars like the Sun. Recent surveys have revealed that approximately 75% of the stars in our Galaxy are Red Dwarfs, and many of these stars host potentially habitable planets, as seen in small worlds like the TRAPPIST-1 system.

Research Interests