Hello, I’m Will Balmer.

I am an astronomer, science journalist, and author. I use ground and space based optical/near infrared telescopes to study exoplanets. I primarily focus on taking images of planets using coronagraphy and optical interferometry. I am a Ph.D candidate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD (anticipated graduation: 2026). I was NASA’s Maryland Space Grant Observatory Fellow for the 2022-2023 academic year. Here you can find links to a number of my first author papers, my CV, and links to recordings of some of my talks and articles.

Interests
  • Optical interferometry 💫
  • High contrast imaging 🌟
  • Self-luminous giant planets 🪐
  • Atmospheric retrievals ☁️
  • Accretion & variability ☄️
Education

  • Graduate (Ph.D.) student in Astronomy, 2021-present

    Johns Hopkins University

  • Bachelors of Arts cum laude in Astronomy and in Physics, 2017-2021

    Amherst College

Select Publications

William Otto Balmer, K. Franson, A. Chomez, L. Pueyo, T. Stolker, S. Lacour, M. Nowak, E. Nasedkin, M. Bonse, D. Thorngren, P. Palma-Bifani, P. Mollière, J. J. Wang, Z. Zhang, A. Chavez, J. Kammerer, S. Blunt, B. P. Bowler, M. Bonnefoy, W. Brandner, B. Charnay, G. Chauvin, Th. Henning, A. M. Lagrange, N. Pourré, E. Rickman, R. De Rosa, A. Vigan, T. Winterhalder (2024). VLTI/GRAVITY Observations of AF Lep b: Preference for Circular Orbits, Cloudy Atmospheres, and a Moderately Enhanced Metallicity. The Astronomical Journal.

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William Otto Balmer, Laurent Pueyo, S. Lacour, J. J. Wang, T. Stolker, J. Kammerer, N. Pourré, M. Nowak, E. Rickman, S. Blunt, A. Sivaramakrishnan, D. Sing, K. Wagner, G.-D. Marleau, ExoGRAVITY Collaboration, GRAVITY Collaboration (2023). VLTI/GRAVITY Provides Evidence the Young, Substellar Companion HD 136164 Ab formed like a "Failed Star". The Astronomical Journal.

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S. Blunt, William Otto Balmer, J. J. Wang, S. Lacour, S. Petrus, G. Bourdarot, J, Kammerer, N. Pourré, E. Rickman, J. Shangguan, T. Winterhalder, ExoGRAVITY Collaboration, GRAVITY Collaboration (2023). First VLTI/GRAVITY Observations of HIP 65426 b: Evidence for a Low or Moderate Orbital Eccentricity. The Astronomical Journal.

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William Otto Balmer, Laurent Pueyo, T. Stolker, H. Reggiani, S. Lacour, A.-L. Maire, P. Mollière, M. Nowak, D. Sing, N. Pourré, S. Blunt, J. J. Wang, E. Rickman, Th. Henning, K. Ward-Duong, ExoGRAVITY Collaboration, GRAVITY Collaboration (2023). VLTI/GRAVITY Observations and Characterization of the Brown Dwarf Companion HD 72946 B. The Astrophysical Journal.

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William Otto Balmer, Katherine Follette, L. Close, J. Males, R. DeRosa, J. Adams Redai, A. Watson, A. Weinberger, K. Morzinski, J. Morales, K. Ward-Duong, L. Pueyo (2022). Improved Orbital Constraints and Hα Photometric Monitoring of the Directly Imaged Protoplanet Analog HD 142527 B. The Astronomical Journal.

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Outreach

Outreach Activites

Observatory Fellow, Maryland Space Grant Consortium | September 2022 - May 2023

Volunteer, Maryland Space Grant Observatory | May 2023 - present

Volunteer, Youth in Engineering and Astronomy, STScI | October 2022 - present

Author, Astrobites, the astro-ph reader’s digest | December 2021 - present

Author, personal blog | June 2018 – present

Astronomy Editor, Amherst STEM Network | October 2019 – May 2021

Public Talks

“How to take pictures of planets in other solar systems” North County High School, June 2023

“Directly Imaging Exoplanets, determining their orbits and atmospheres” Howard Astronomical League, June 16th, 2022

“The Growth of Young Stars and Protoplanets!” Balticon 56, May 27th, 2022

“Adolescent astronomy: Planet formation, Direct imaging, and early-career astronomy research” UMass Astronomy Club, April 20th, 2021

In the Press

Articles I’ve written or been interviewed for. Last updated 2023/10/12.

“How astronomers search for life on exoplanets” by William Balmer for The Planetary Society, Oct 11, 2023

“Where do Hot-Jupiters come from? RV population statistics suggests planet-planet interactions” by William Balmer for Astrobites, Oct 11, 2023

“Advisee to Advising (your first research student)” by William Balmer for Astrobites, Jul 28, 2023

“Did early Earth order delivery, or did it make its oceans at home?” by William Balmer for Astrobites, Apr 27, 2023

“Newly discovered planet AF Lep is leading its star astray” by William Balmer for Astrobites, Feb 25, 2023

“Dancing with the (Six) Stars, or, a 200 year story of the Castor system” by William Balmer for Astrobites, Nov 7, 2022

“JWST’s carbon dioxide discovery is good news for Earth-like worlds” by William Balmer for The Planetary Society, Sep 27, 2022

“Fly-bye, Baby: a review of the impact of stellar flybys on protoplanetary disks” by William Balmer for Astrobites, Aug 23, 2022

“What might JWST reveal about TRAPPIST-1?” by William Balmer for The Planetary Society, June 9th, 2022.

“Flipping the table: inferring planet formation from atmospheric composition” by William Balmer for Astrobites, May 6th, 2022.

“Herald of the Change: A microlensing Jupiter-analogue spotted in K2 data portends Roman’s yield of new planets” by William Balmer for Astrobites, April 11th, 2022.

“Peek-a-boo! Forming Moons Revealed Around a Baby Planet” by William Balmer for Astrobites, February 9th, 2022.

“Reaching for the Stars: William Balmer Thesis Spotlight” by Sarah Lapean in The Amherst STEM Network on May 14th, 2021.

“The Orbit and Growth of HD 142527B” by William Balmer for Astrobites, March 14th, 2021.

“Planetary cradles: UMass/FCAD colloquium speaker Feng Long presents ALMA view of early solar systems” by William Balmer in The Amherst STEM Network Magazine, Issue 1.3, Fall 2020.

“What makes a planet? Daniela Bardalez Gagliuffi seeks answers in the lowest mass stars” by William Balmer in The Amherst STEM Network Magazine, Issue 1.1, Spring 2020.