Well, today brought an incredible surprise that I’m beyond excited to share, I’ve officially been accepted into the NASA SEES (STEM Enhancement in Earth Science) High School Internship Program! Even more thrilling is the news that I’ve been selected to join the Exoplanet Transits – Detecting Planets Around Other Stars team, this opportunity feels like a dream come true.

This team focuses on studying exoplanets—planets that orbit stars outside of our solar system—using transit photometry, a technique that involves detecting the slight dimming of a star’s light when a planet passes in front of it. I’ll be working alongside NASA scientists, university researchers, and other passionate students from across the country. Together, we’ll analyze real data from space telescopes like TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and learn how to identify potential exoplanets from light curves.

This is just the beginning of my journey, and I can’t wait to share everything I learn along the way.