Yaseen Almleaky
King Abdulaziz University, King Abdul Aziz University Hospital
Papers
3
Total Citations
128
H-Index
3
About
Yaseen Almleaky is an astronomer at the forefront of the search for terrestrial planets beyond our Solar System. His research centers on exoplanet detection and characterization, with a specific focus on ultracool dwarf stars—the smallest and dimmest stellar objects. Almleaky’s major contribution is his pivotal role in the SPECULOOS project (Search for Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars), a network of robotic telescopes designed to hunt for temperate, Earth-sized planets around the nearest ultracool dwarfs. His work, detailed in a foundational 2018 paper (76 citations), outlines the project’s strategy to target ~1,200 bright infrared stars, aiming to find planets amenable to atmospheric study with telescopes like JWST. A subsequent 2018 paper (33 citations) announced the start of operations for the SPECULOOS Southern Observatory at Cerro Paranal, marking a key milestone. By targeting these elusive, low-mass stars, Almleaky’s research directly addresses one of astronomy’s grand challenges: discovering rocky planets where conditions for life might be studied. His efforts are helping to build the observational foundation for the next era of exoplanet science.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2The SPECULOOS Southern Observatory Begins its Hunt for Rocky Planets33 citations · 2018
- 3