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Daria Pidhorodetska Presses Forward In Her Quest to Study Exoplanets

Woman with long, dark, wavy brown hair wearing a black long sleeve shirt, black pants, and a black NASA lanyard stands, smiling, in front of a large NASA meatball sign.
Daria Pidhorodetska standing in front of a NASA meatball sign.
NASA

Name: Daria Pidhorodetska
Title: Research assistant
Organization: Code 693, Planetary Systems Laboratory, Solar System Exploration Division, Sciences Directorate

What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission?

I wear many hats, all tied to understanding exoplanet atmospheres. While we are currently limited in technology in terms of probing these atmospheres, we can use models to understand what future space and ground-based telescopes might be able to detect. Until we can begin characterizing what these planets truly look like, I study interesting targets discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. I also work with teams designing future concept missions such as the Large UV Optical Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR) observatory, modeling the potential of proposed instruments and what they could teach us about the many unknown worlds around us.

Exoplanets are planets outside of our solar system. How close is the closest exoplanet system to us?

The closest exoplanet system to us is the Alpha Centauri system, which would take a human over 100,000 years to reach. To date, we have detected a little over 4,000 exoplanets. NASA’s Kepler mission taught us that there are more planets than stars in our universe, so we expect that there are perhaps billions yet to be discovered.

What is your role with TESS?

TESS is a space telescope satellite that aims to discover exoplanets orbiting nearby bright stars that are so close to their host star that they orbit very frequently, which gives us a great opportunity to detect them. When we discover an interesting exoplanet, the next questions become whether or not that planet has an atmosphere and, if so, what that atmosphere may look like. I model potential atmospheres based on the information that TESS gives us about the planet, which includes the radius, the transit duration, the distance of the planet to the star, along with constraining additional stellar parameters that teach us more about the star itself.

What goes through your mind when you help design mission concepts such as LUVOIR?  

When it comes to designing mission concepts, we are planning for something that is not going to launch for maybe 20 years or more. These are extremely large-scale concept designs. I am always amazed by the precision that we are able to put into something that is so very far in the future. Our final report was over 300 pages long and encompassed an incredible level of detail. None of this would have been possible without a team that varies in experience and knowledge. Understanding exoplanets requires many different areas of research; you need oceanographers, geologists, atmospheric scientists, astronomers, engineers and beyond.

I really enjoy coming together with so many people from such diverse backgrounds to work towards one common, very futuristic goal. It is my favorite part of being a scientist.

Did you always know you wanted to study how the universe works?

Yes. I have always been interested in asking where we came from and under what conditions life can arise. As the science of life intrigues me, I studied biology as an undergraduate. It was only towards the end of my degree that I was introduced to the idea that life itself may look very different on different worlds, and that there are many worlds in our universe that are each unique and waiting to be uncovered.

Where did you go to school to study biology?

I got my bachelor’s degree in biology from Salisbury University. I am taking a gap year here at Goddard and hope to go to graduate school next year to study planetary science. I feel very lucky to be part of a team that encourages further education.

How did you come to work at Goddard?

While in college, my undergraduate research advisor invited Dr. Shawn Domagal-Goldman, a Goddard scientist, to speak to us. I was drawn to what he was saying and became very interested in how scientists were working to answer the questions that define humanity. It was the first time I ever heard anyone talk about planetary science in the context of astrobiology, an area of research that actively works to determine if there is life elsewhere in the universe. I knew then that following this path is what I wanted to do!

I asked him how I could get into the planetary science field. Going from biology to planetary science is not a traditional path, but astrobiology offers the perfect avenue to bring these two very different things together. I needed advice on how to make that happen, but what came from that day was beyond what I had ever expected — Shawn saw my passion for defining the unknown and ended up inviting me to work with his team. I immediately said yes. I started at Goddard right after graduation.

What advice would you give to a student who wanted to work at Goddard?

Network. Network. Network. Always apply for the things that you might not qualify for “on paper” because you never know what can happen if you are truly passionate and willing to work hard. Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, it becomes easier to do the more that you try. Don’t be afraid to take a chance and always hold onto the people that help you be successful.

Scientists have to accept that failure is more common than many might realize. It’s all a part of advancing both science in general and also yourself in the field. The most important part about failure is to be resilient and to keep going because that is what will set you apart from everyone else. Everyone goes through challenges; Only those who press forward will eventually see success.

Is there something surprising about your hobbies that people do not generally know?

I love traveling and spend a large amount of my free time going all over the world. This past year alone I went to six new countries and four new states. I love all of these new places for different reasons.

If I could choose anywhere to be right now I would go back to Australia. Not only is Australia a beautiful place, it is also the perfect laboratory to study astrobiology. The deserts are home to some of the oldest geological structures on the planet, which can teach us about how planets evolve over time. To study exoplanets, you have to start by understanding our own planet. Earth is our best-known world in the universe. It is important that we take care of it in our efforts to determine what else may be out there.

While our planet is the most well understood world in the context of our universe, there are still many places where unanswered questions leave room for exploration. One of these regions is our oceans. I am a very avid scuba diver. I have gone scuba diving in Bali, Costa Rica, Australia and beyond. The way that life operates much differently in the oceans  than on the land encourages me to imagine how much different it would be on another planet.

What is your “six-word memoir?” A six-word memoir describes something in just six words.

Adventurous, inquisitive, passionate, creative, determined and adaptable.

By Elizabeth M. Jarrell
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center