Inside JWST with Dr Achrène Dyrek

What can the atmospheres of distant worlds reveal about their origins?In this episode, hosts Jeni and Lorenzo talk with Dr Amélie Gressier from the University of Montreal about one of the biggest revolutions in exoplanet research, JWST. Amelie began her journey as a child where she often wondered about distant life in the universe. Her ever-growing passion led her to her research today, where she specialises in atmospheric characterisation and planetary chemistry. Listen as Amelie talks about how JWST is transforming exoplanet science and our understanding of small worlds. Explore super-Earths, sub-Neptunes and atmospheric chemistry through Amelie’s exciting conversation, along with the journey that led her to where she is today. From the leap beyond Hubble to the future of studying rocky planets, discover why JWST is changing how we understand distant worlds. 

What if a planet could have cloudy mornings and clear evenings, forever?In this episode, Jeni and Lorenzo are joined by Dr Dominic Samra, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chicago, to explore the strange weather of hot Jupiters. From mineral 'snowflakes' to powerful winds carrying clouds around entire planets, Dominic explains why these distant worlds are far from uniform, and how JWST is beginning to reveal the differences between their two sides.

Sub-Neptunes are among the most common planets we know of, yet we still do not really know what they are.In this episode, Jeni and Lorenzo are joined by Gaia to explore these mysterious worlds: are they rocky planets wrapped in thick atmospheres, water-rich worlds, or something else entirely?We talk about how projects like THIRSTY, JWST and Ariel are helping astronomers piece together their origins, atmospheres and evolution.

What if we could actually see an exoplanet?In this episode, Jeni and Lorenzo are joined by Dr Vito Squicciarini from the University of Exeter to explore direct imaging: how astronomers block out starlight to reveal young giant planets, what their infrared light can tell us about their atmospheres, and how future telescopes could bring us closer to imaging smaller worlds.We also talk about HR 8799, Beta Pictoris and the discovery that became Vito’s Celestial Self.And since recording, Beta Pictoris has gained another planet, a perfect reminder of how quickly this field moves.

Growing Worlds is back for Season 2! In this short bonus episode, hosts Jeni and Lorenzo look back at where Season 1 took us and share what is changing as we begin a new year of the podcast.We welcome Robyn to the Growing Worlds team alongside assistant producer Carys, and reveal our plans to make the podcast more student-driven, bringing new people, ideas and voices into the show throughout the year.The heart of Growing Worlds is not changing: we will still be exploring exoplanet science with early-career researchers from around the world, discovering the people behind the research and, of course, asking the all-important Celestial Self question.Welcome back. Season 2 starts here.

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 and surprises of the extraordinary JWST.

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 explores how Ariel will help transform our understanding of planets beyond the Solar System.

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 spectra truly reflect distant worlds and not instrumental artefacts.Listen to Angèle’s story in the field, from admiring the night sky as a child to her current passion for the Ariel mission.  Learn about the collaborative nature of her work with engineers, and her excitement about contributing to groundbreaking exoplanet science.

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 Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Palermo, where he contributes to several international collaborations using cutting-edge instruments and helps to bridge the gap between the precision of space-based telescopes and the spectral resolution achieved from the ground.