Faculty

Institution

Unit

Venue

Kate Follette

Amherst College

Affiliations

Center For Teaching And Learning

Department Of Physics And Astronomy

Kate Follette is a Professor of Astronomy at Amherst College, where she specializes in observational astronomy and exoplanetary science. Her research focuses on protoplanetary disks, stellar astrophysics, and the direct imaging of accreting protoplanets using advanced adaptive optics systems like MagAO-X. Her recent work includes the discovery of Hα-emitting protoplanet candidates, such as WISPIT 2b and companions around 2MASS J16120668–3010270, alongside studies of planet formation in systems like LkCa 15 and AB Aur. She also investigates astronomical image analysis and high-energy astrophysics, contributing to surveys of accreting companions and directly imaged planets in Sco-Cen.

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Kate Follette

Amherst College

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astronomy observational astronomy planetary sciences astrophysics exoplanets stellar astrophysics high-energy astrophysics planetary change astronomical image analysis protoplanetary disks planetary systems atmospheric measurement technique atomic spectroscopy extrasolar system physics planetary science extragalactic astronomy exoplanet formation space weather space science exoplanet atmospheres astroinformatics gemini planet imager computational imaging stellar structure earth science optical engineering high energy density physics atmospheric research dusty plasmas astronomical coordinate system infrared optic science education acta astronautica imaging spectroscopy astrophysical simulations astrostatistics transitional disk geodesy cold region science cryosphere synchrotron radiation planetary bodies adaptive optics astrophysical plasmas astrochemistry numeracy transition disk gpi data hd 100546 debris disk near-infrared accretion signatures mass estimates magellan ao system protoplanet candidate ocean sciences laboratory investigation numerical mathematics high energy physics space geodesy relativistic astrophysics space optic glacial process accelerator mass spectrometry visibility chemical emission atmospheric sensing high-frequency approximation inverse scattering transforms geometrical optics giant planet spiral arms giant planets young giant planet mass accretion rate gapped disk

Notable Scholarly Works

Notable Federal Grants

Collaborators

Toward Fairer and More Equitable Numeracy Measurement: Improvements to the Quantitative Reasoning for College Science Assessment. Numeracy (2026)

higher education assessmentfairnessdisparitieshigher educationstatistical thinkingtoward fairerbiasequitable numeracy measurementquantitative reasoningeducationstatisticsscience educationeducational researcheducational assessmentnumeracy

Characterization of the Host Binary of the Directly Imaged Exoplanet Hd 143811 Ab B. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025)

astrophysicsexoplanetsastronomical image analysisatomic spectroscopyextrasolar systemastronomyobservational astronomyexoplanet atmospheres

Discovery of H α Emission From a Protoplanet Candidate Around the Young Star 2Mass J16120668–3010270 With Magao-X. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025)

physicsastrophysicsyoung star 2massplanetary sciencesprotoplanet candidatehigh energy density physicsastrophysical plasmasatomic spectroscopystellar astrophysicsastrochemistryastronomystellar structurestar formationspace weatherhigh-energy astrophysics

Exoalma. XI. Alma Observations and Hydrodynamic Models of Lkca 15: Implications for Planetary Mass Companions in the Dust Continuum Cavity. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025)

atmospheric measurement techniqueplanetary sciencesspace weatheralma observationslkca 15planetary changeastronomyprotoplanetary disksplanetary mass companionsobservational astronomydusty plasmasstar formationinterstellar medium

Hd 143811 Ab B: A Directly Imaged Planet Orbiting a Spectroscopic Binary in Sco-Cen. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025)

astrophysicsastronomical image analysisatomic spectroscopyplanetary systemsextrasolar systemastronomyobservational astronomy

H α Variability of Ab Aur B With the Hubble Space Telescope: Probing the Nature of a Protoplanet Candidate With Accretion Light Echoes. The Astronomical Journal (2025)

Brendan P. BowlerYifan ZhouLauren I. BiddleLillian Yushu JiangJaehan BaeLaird M. CloseKatherine B. FolletteKyle FransonAdam L. KrausAniket SanghiQuang TranKimberly Ward-DuongYa-Lin WuZhaohuan Zhu

astrophysicsaccretion light echoesprotoplanet candidatehubble space telescopeastronomyobservational astronomy

Occurrence Rates of Accreting Companions From a New Method for Computing Emission-Line Survey Sensitivity: Application to the H α Giant Accreting Protoplanet Survey. The Astronomical Journal (2025)

atmospheric measurement techniqueastrophysicsplanetary sciencescomputational astrophysicsemission-line survey sensitivityatmospheric researchastronomyatmospheric sensingaccreting companionsobservational astronomyastroinformaticschemical emissionatmospheric scienceoccurrence rates

Wide Separation Planets in Time (Wispit): Discovery of a Gap H α Protoplanet Wispit 2B With Magao-X. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025)

wide separation planetsastrophysicsexoplanetsplanetary sciencesexoplanet formationhigh energy density physicsplanetary scienceplanetary systemsplanetary changeastronomyextrasolar systemprotoplanetary disksobservational astronomy

Challenge of Direct Imaging of Exoplanets Within Structures: Disentangling Real Signal From Point Source From Background Light. (2024)

Jialin LiLaird M. CloseJared R. MalesSebastiaan Y. HaffertAlycia J. WeinbergerKatherine B. FolletteKevin R. WagnerDaniel ApaiYa-Lin WuJoseph D. LongLaura PerezLogan A. PearceJay KuenyEden A. McEwenKyle Van GorkomOlivier GuyonMaggie Y. KautzAlexander D. HedglenWarren B. FosterRoz RobertsJennifer LumbresLauren Schatz

exoplanetspoint sourceastronomybackground lightdirect imagingdirect observation

Gemini Planet Imager Observations of a Resolved Low-Inclination Debris Disk Around Hd 156623. The Astronomical Journal (2024)

Briley L. LewisMichael P. FitzgeraldThomas M. EspositoPauline ArriagaRonald LópezKatie A. CrottsGaspard DuchêneKatherine B. FolletteJustin HomPaul KalasBrenda C. MatthewsMaxwell Millar-BlanchaerDavid J. WilnerJohan MazoyerBruce Macintosh

astronomical image analysisplanetary sciencesastronomylow-inclination debris diskobservational astronomy

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Kate Follette

Amherst College

Affiliations

Center For Teaching And Learning

Department Of Physics And Astronomy

Honors

Create free account to unlock more features

Experiences

Create free account to unlock more features

Education

Create free account to unlock more features

Kate Follette

Amherst College

You can click a keyword to filter the displayed items

Notable Scholarly Works

Notable Federal Grants

Collaborators

Toward Fairer and More Equitable Numeracy Measurement: Improvements to the Quantitative Reasoning for College Science Assessment. Numeracy (2026)

Characterization of the Host Binary of the Directly Imaged Exoplanet Hd 143811 Ab B. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025)

astrophysicsexoplanetsastronomical image analysisatomic spectroscopyextrasolar systemastronomyobservational astronomyexoplanet atmospheres

Discovery of H α Emission From a Protoplanet Candidate Around the Young Star 2Mass J16120668–3010270 With Magao-X. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025)

Exoalma. XI. Alma Observations and Hydrodynamic Models of Lkca 15: Implications for Planetary Mass Companions in the Dust Continuum Cavity. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025)

Hd 143811 Ab B: A Directly Imaged Planet Orbiting a Spectroscopic Binary in Sco-Cen. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025)

astrophysicsastronomical image analysisatomic spectroscopyplanetary systemsextrasolar systemastronomyobservational astronomy

H α Variability of Ab Aur B With the Hubble Space Telescope: Probing the Nature of a Protoplanet Candidate With Accretion Light Echoes. The Astronomical Journal (2025)

Brendan P. BowlerYifan ZhouLauren I. BiddleLillian Yushu JiangJaehan BaeLaird M. CloseKatherine B. FolletteKyle FransonAdam L. KrausAniket SanghiQuang TranKimberly Ward-DuongYa-Lin WuZhaohuan Zhu

astrophysicsaccretion light echoesprotoplanet candidatehubble space telescopeastronomyobservational astronomy

Wide Separation Planets in Time (Wispit): Discovery of a Gap H α Protoplanet Wispit 2B With Magao-X. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025)

Challenge of Direct Imaging of Exoplanets Within Structures: Disentangling Real Signal From Point Source From Background Light. (2024)

exoplanetspoint sourceastronomybackground lightdirect imagingdirect observation

Gemini Planet Imager Observations of a Resolved Low-Inclination Debris Disk Around Hd 156623. The Astronomical Journal (2024)

astronomical image analysisplanetary sciencesastronomylow-inclination debris diskobservational astronomy

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10 / page