Rebecca Oppenheimer

Dr. Oppenheimer is a comparative exoplanetary scientist who studies planets orbiting distant stars through direct observation and spectroscopic analysis. She co-discovered Gliese 229B, "the first object smaller than a star ever seen outside the solar system," and conducted pioneering atmospheric studies of extrasolar sub-stellar objects. Her optics laboratory has developed advanced astronomical instruments, including coronagraphs deployed at the AEOS Telescope in Maui (2004) and Palomar Observatory (2008). Recent projects include the starlight suppression system for the Gemini Observatory Planet Imager and PARVI, a near-infrared spectrometer designed to detect Earth-sized planets around cool stars.

• Near-IR Spectrum of the Cool Brown Dwarf GL 229B (1995) Paper
• Reconnaissance of the HR 8799 Exosolar System I: Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (Project 1640) (2013) Paper