Binaries Across The Universe

A lecture series curated by Dr. Gary Blackwood, NASA/JPL, ret:
COSMIC CONNECTIONS with NASA Scientists beneath the Desert Sky

Binaries Across The Universe

Dr. Catherine A. Clark, NASA/Caltec/IPAC
October 3, 2026
7:30 – 9:30 pm

Sky’s The Limit Observatory & Nature Center
9697 Utah Trail, Twentynine Palms, CA

Reservations required; $25 per car
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Binaries are everywhere. From the most massive galaxies to the smallest asteroids, astronomical objects of every size can be found in pairs. Stars preferentially form in groups, leading to mature systems containing multiple stars. However, these stellar companions can be difficult to detect through the tumultuous atmosphere, and the planets of these multi-star systems are even more camouflaged due to the signal from the secondary star. As a result, only a tenth of known planets have been found in multi-star systems. Luckily, astronomers have developed several clever methods for tracking down these Tatooines.

Dr. Catherine A. Clark grew up in Denver, Colorado, and moved to Ann Arbor in 2013 to pursue a degree in Astronomy & Astrophysics, as well as Spanish, at the University of Michigan. After graduating in 2017, she moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, to pursue a PhD in Astronomy and Planetary Science at Northern Arizona University. She completed her graduate research at Lowell Observatory, where she focused on high-resolution imaging of nearby, low-mass stars. During this time, she also completed a Graduate Certificate in Science Communication. After receiving her PhD in 2022, she started a postdoctoral position at NASA JPL in Pasadena, California, where she began studying the planets of multi-star systems. In September 2024, she began a staff position at the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at Caltech/IPAC. When she is not tracking down Tatooines, she can be found cuddling her cats Europa and Enceladus.