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About

M. Konacki is an astronomer whose research sits at the intersection of stellar astrophysics and exoplanet science, with a particular focus on eclipsing binary systems and the search for circumbinary planets. Perhaps his most significant contribution is the conception and development of Project Solaris, a pioneering global network of four autonomous robotic observatories distributed across the Southern Hemisphere. Designed to deliver the high-cadence, long-baseline photometric monitoring essential for eclipse timing variation (ETV) studies, Solaris represents a major infrastructure achievement in modern observational astronomy. Konacki's work on eclipsing binaries has yielded precise orbital and physical characterizations of systems such as HD 187669, a totally eclipsing double-giant binary analyzed through a sophisticated combination of multi-band photometry and high-precision spectroscopy. His research into circumbinary planets — worlds orbiting both stars of a binary system — has helped establish ETV methods as a credible detection pathway, complementing space-based missions like Kepler and TESS by addressing their temporal and sky-coverage limitations. With his most-cited work accumulating tens of citations and a sustained publication record spanning over a decade, Konacki has made durable contributions to our understanding of stellar multiplicity and planetary formation in complex star systems.