Papers
8
Total Citations
77
H-Index
5
About
M. J. Lehner is a prominent observational astronomer whose research has centered on the detection and characterization of Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) and the development of advanced instrumentation for wide-field, high-speed astronomical surveys. Lehner has been a central figure in both the Taiwanese-American Occultation Survey (TAOS) and its successor, the Transneptunian Automated Occultation Survey (TAOS II), projects designed to probe the size distribution of small icy bodies in the outer Solar System through stellar occultation techniques. His most-cited work, the 2009 TAOS observatory description paper (30 citations), established the technical foundation for a four-telescope robotic facility that also contributed to gamma-ray burst afterglow research. Lehner's sustained contributions to custom CMOS detector development — including large-area, back-thinned sensors capable of monitoring 10,000 stars simultaneously at 20 Hz — reflect his expertise bridging instrumentation and science. His additional work on heterogeneous telescope network protocols demonstrates a broader commitment to advancing coordinated, robotic observational infrastructure. Across nearly two decades, Lehner's efforts have meaningfully shaped humanity's understanding of the primordial architecture of the outer Solar System.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 2
- 3The prototype cameras for trans-Neptunian automatic occultation survey12 citations · 2016
- 4
- 5Search for Small Trans-Neptunian Objects by the TAOS Project7 citations · 2006
- 6A protocol standard for heterogeneous telescope networks4 citations · 2006
- 7Operating a heterogeneous telescope network3 citations · 2006
- 8