Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Tim Lister is an observational astronomer whose career has centered on time-domain astronomy, robotic telescope networks, and solar system science. He has been a central figure in developing and operating the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT) network — a worldwide array of fully robotic, dynamically scheduled telescopes that has transformed how astronomers respond to transient and time-critical events. His work on RoboNet-II (100 citations) demonstrated the power of coordinated robotic networks for following up gravitational microlensing events in the Galactic Bulge, opening new windows onto planetary detection and stellar populations. Lister also contributed to the SuperWASP exoplanet transit survey, helping lay the groundwork for discoveries of over 30 transiting exoplanets around bright stars. Beyond exoplanets, his research spans solar system science, including monitoring the perihelion activity of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko and detecting renewed cometary activity in Centaur object 95P/Chiron. He further developed NEOExchange, an online portal enabling near-Earth object follow-up observations through the LCO network. His contributions to novel telescope scheduling and science operations have helped establish robotic observatories as indispensable tools for modern astronomy, benefiting researchers and students worldwide.