Open science archive // Stellar spectroscopy // Exoplanetary chemistry

Reading the chemistry
of other worlds

A systematic archive documenting the elemental chemistry of exoplanetary systems — measuring what stars are made of, and using that chemistry to understand what their planets are made of too.

Janssen (55 Cnc e) artist’s concept — NASA, ESA, CSA, J. Olmsted (STScI) · JWST 2024
First target
55 Cancri A
IAU name
Copernicus
Distance
40.9 ly
Teff
5196 K
Planets
5
Spectrograph
HARPS R~115k
Model
ATLAS9 / Kurucz
Search targets

Currently indexed: 12 systems · More added as analysis completes

View all 12 systems →
[λ]
High-res spectroscopy

HARPS spectra at R~115,000. Each absorption line in the stellar photosphere is a fingerprint of one element at one temperature and pressure.

[∫]
Equivalent widths

Gaussian fitting to absorption lines yields equivalent widths — the area of each line — which map directly to elemental column densities.

[K]
Kurucz model atmospheres

ATLAS9/Castelli-Kurucz 1D LTE model atmospheres parameterized by Teff, log g, [Fe/H], and microturbulence. The same workhorse used since 1979.

[σ]
Metrology-grade errors

Type A (random) and Type B (systematic) uncertainties documented for every measurement. Error bars are not optional — they are the science.

“This started as a senior astrophysics thesis in 2010 — three star systems, hand-fitted Gaussians, and a question: can you read the chemistry of a star and know what its planets are made of? I spent fifteen years building lasers and consulting on AI. The question never went away.”
— Ryan Schmitt, founder  ·  Montana, 2026

Get notified when Copernicus publishes

We’re measuring 55 Cancri A now. Get notified when the first Codex entry publishes.