Matthew A. Kenworthy

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About

Matthew A. Kenworthy is an observational astronomer whose research focuses on the architecture and dynamics of planetary systems, particularly through direct imaging and transit photometry. He is best known for pioneering the use of stellar occultations to detect and characterize circumplanetary material and debris disks around young stars. Kenworthy led the discovery of the "J1407b" system, a giant planet with a massive ring system hundreds of times larger than Saturn’s, and has since developed innovative methods to probe the inner regions of exoplanetary systems using high-cadence photometry from networks like bRing. His work on the young hybrid debris disk star HD 156623 (12 citations) exemplifies his contributions to understanding the early evolution of planetary architectures. With over 100 publications and more than 2,000 total citations, Kenworthy’s research has reshaped our view of how rings, moons, and debris disks form and interact around young stars. He is also a key figure in the development of the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS) and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) follow-up efforts, making him a leading voice in the study of exoplanet formation and system dynamics.