Welcome
The Exoteric Lab
Understanding Worlds Beyond Our Own
Welcome to
Why “Exoteric” ?
(adjective) /ˌek.səˈter.ɪk/
1. Intended to be understood by everyone.
2. Accessible, open, and outward-facing.
Our name reflects our philosophy: science should be rigorous, but also interpretable and open. We aim to demystify our field, make our findings accessible, and train a new generation of researchers who can navigate both technical depth and public understanding.
The Exoteric Lab at Arizona State University explores the atmospheres of exoplanets—from ultra-hot giants to temperate Earth-sized worlds.
Our work asks:
What are exoplanet atmospheres made of?
What do their compositions tell us about planet formation?
What is the diversity of planetary climates and chemistry?
What atmospheric properties distinguish the exoplanet population from our own Solar System and Earth?
What are the prospects for habitability in the Universe?
We combine data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and ground-based observatories with physically motivated models and rigorous statistical methods to analyze and interpret spectra reliably. Our goal is not just to detect atmospheric molecules, but to understand the assumptions and uncertainties behind each claim, and to develop best practices for model criticism and interpretability. The lab is led by Prof. Luis Welbanks.
We are part of ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration, one of the leading institutions in planetary and atmospheric science. We are committed to mentorship, inclusion, and creating a collaborative research environment that supports students and researchers from all backgrounds.
Explore our research, meet our team, or get in touch—we are always excited to share ideas and build connections.
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Featured News
ASU astronomers advance NASA’s Pandora mission
Learn more about our involvement with NASA’s Pandora mission and the first science paper of the mission. The paper was led by our very own Yoav Rotman. Congratulations Yoav!
Clouds shape hidden interiors of galaxy's most common planets
Sub-Neptunes are emerging with considerable interest as potential candidates for habitability under the right conditions. Evaluating that potential requires a clear picture of their surfaces and internal structures. Learn about our research group's efforts to understand their nature.
Congratulations to Sagnick & Matt for their recent press releases!
Sagnick led new study published in the journal Science documents the first detection of repeating cloud cycles on a hot Jupiter exoplanet. Meanwhile, Matt finds that some ‘mini-Neptunes’ likely have solid surfaces rather than molten interiors. Read more below!
Rethinking Gas Detections in Exoplanet Atmospheres
Our Nature Astronomy paper explores the challenges of detecting gases in exoplanet atmospheres, emphasizing how limited model comparisons can lead to misleading conclusions. Using the sub-Neptune K2-18 b as a case study, we show how expanding model space changes interpretation.
What can astronomy tell us about our place in the universe?
Luis Welbanks joined Rebecca Charbonneau, and Yinuo Han to debate beauty, optimism, life on other planets, the Cold War and the impact of politics on astronomy, the meaning of life, space dust and much more, including ‘the Mexican grandma test’ in the latest episode of the Gates Cambridge Foundation's podcast So, now what?
Our group welcomes Matt & Sagnick - 2025 51 Pegasi b Fellows
Arizona State University and our new group welcomes two new 51 Pegasi b Fellows to its exoplanet research team in fall 2025. The Heising-Simons Foundation awarded the prestigious postdoctoral fellowships to Matthew Nixon and Sagnick Mukherjee. Together we will push the boundaries of what is possible in exoplanet science.
Images from Nature Magazine, NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / J. Olmsted, STScI, NASA, ESA, D. Sing, and Amanda Smith.