Overview
Dr. Jake Turner [he/him/his] is currently a research associate at Cornell University and a member of the Carl Sagan Institute. Dr. Turner's research is focused on studying the magnetic fields, atmospheres, and orbital evolution of exoplanets and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Dr. Turner was recently the lead author of a study that found the first possible detection of an exoplanet in the radio. Jake was also a science advisor for NASA's first radio telescope on the Moon (ROLSES) that successfully landed in 2024.
Jake received his bachelor degrees in physics and astronomy in 2011 from the University of Arizona. As a graduate student, Jake was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and spent two years as a visiting student at CNRS in Orléans, France. Dr. Turner received his PhD in astronomy in 2018 from the University of Virginia. Since 2018, he has been a research associate at Cornell University and was NASA Hubble/Sagan Fellow from 2021-2024. In addition to his research, Jake is very active in social activism, photography, outreach, and currently leads the Carl Sagan Institute’s social media and outreach activities.
You can find more info at his research website: astrojaketurner.com
You can find more info at his research website: astrojaketurner.com
Research Focus
Exoplanet magnetic fields: radio observations, spectropolarimetry, near-UV asymmetries
Dr. Turner is currently part of the following teams: Radio Exoplanets (Co-PI), NenuFAR “Exoplanets and Stars” Key Science Program, LOFAR2.0 Exoplanet Science, Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Cradle of Life, FARSIDE (Farside Array for Radio Science Investigations of the Dark ages & Exoplanets), GO-LoW (Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths), and HADES (HI Absorption in the Dark agES)
Dr. Turner is a science advisor on the following Lunar radio telescopes: ROLSES-1 and 2 (Radiowave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the photoElectron 2 Sheath), LuSEE-Night (Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment), FarView (Lunar Far Side Radio Observatory), and LCRT (Lunar Crater Radio Telescope)
SETI: radio, optical, atmospheric pollution, multi-messenger
Dr. Turner is a team member on the proposed Lunar Farside Techno-signature and Transients Telescope (LFT3) SETI mission and the NenuFAR GTO program performing the first ever SETI radio search focused on the 10-70 MHz low-frequency radio-band. Recently, Dr. Turner also received a pilot study grant from SETI to investigate whether natural planetary and stellar radio emission be a false-positive for SETI radio searches.
Exoplanet atmospheres: high-resolution, JWST, and ground-based low-resolution
Dr. Turner is the PI of the ExoGemS (Exoplanets with Gemini Spectroscopy survey) large survey on Gemini-N/S and part of the JWST Transiting Exoplanet ERS team and the NIRISS Exoplanets (NEAT) team.
Exoplanet Orbital Evolution: TESS & CHEOPS
Dr. Turner is the PI of the Transit Timing Variations with TESS Team
In the news:
Detecting Exoplanet Magnetic Fields From The Moon: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/detecting-exoplanet-magnetic-fields-from-the-moon
Earth to be exhibit A for lunar exoplanet research: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/02/earth-be-exhibit-lunar-exoplanet-research
Webb telescope shows exoplanet atmosphere as never seen before: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2022/11/webb-telescope-shows-exoplanet-atmosphere-never-seen
Cornell helps detect CO2 for first time on faraway world: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2022/08/cornell-helps-detect-co2-first-time-faraway-world
Spectrum reveals extreme exoplanet is even more exotic: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/10/spectrum-reveals-extreme-exoplanet-even-more-exotic
Cornell postdoc detects possible exoplanet radio emission: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/12/cornell-postdoc-detects-possible-exoplanet-radio-emission
Publications
Turner J.D., et al. Studying exoplanets in the radio from the Moon. White Paper: National Academy’s Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon. arXiv:2508.09222. 2025
Griessmeier J.-M. and Turner J.D.. Future Detection and Characterization of Exoplanets at Radio Wavelengths. Handbook of Exoplanets. 10.1007/978-3-319-30648-3 159-2. 2025
Hibbard J.J., et al. (including Turner J.D.), Results from NASA’s First Radio Telescope on the Moon: Terrestrial Technosignatures and the Low-Frequency Galactic Background Observed by ROLSES-1 Onboard the Odysseus Lander. AJ. Submitted. arXiv:2503.09842
Turner J.D., Zarka P., Griessmeier J.-M. Follow-up LOFAR observations of the tau Bootis exoplanetary system. A&A. 688. 66. 2024
Callingham J. R., et al. (including Turner J.D.). Radio Signatures of Star-Planet Interactions, Exoplanets, and Space Weather. Nature Astronomy. 8. 1359. 2024
Turner J.D., Zarka P., Griessmeier J.-M., Mauduit E., et al. Follow-up radio observations of the tau Bootis exoplanetary system: Preliminary results from NenuFAR. PRE IX. https://doi.org/10.25546/104048. 2023
Turner J.D., Flagg L., Ridden-Harper A., Jayawardhana R. Characterizing the WASP- 4 system with TESS and radial velocity data: Constraints on the cause of the hot Jupiter’s changing orbit and evidence of an outer planet. AJ. 163. 281. 2022
Meziani Y., Flagg L., Turner J.D., et al. ExoGemS: The Effect of Offsets from True Orbital Parameters on Exoplanet High-Resolution Transmission Spectra. AJ. Accepted. arXiv:2507.11708. 2025
Ashtari R., Sciola A., Turner J.D., Stevenson K. Detecting Magnetospheric Radio Emission from Giant Exoplanets. ApJ. 939. 24. 2022
Zafar R., et al. (including Turner J.D.). Early Release Science of the exoplanet WASP-39b with JWST NIRSpec PRISM. Nature. 614. 659 2023
The JWST Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science Team, et al. (in- cluding Turner J.D.). Identification of carbon dioxide in an exoplanet atmosphere. Nature. 614. 649. 2023
Deibert E.K., de Mooij E.J. W., Jayawardhana R., Turner J.D., et al. Detection of Ionized Calcium in the Atmosphere of the Ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-76b. ApJL. 919. 15. 2021
Turner J.D., Ridden-Harper A., Jayawardhana R. Decaying Orbit of the Hot Jupiter WASP-12b: Confirmation with TESS Observations. AJ. 161. 72. 2021
Turner J.D., Zarka P., Griessmeier J.-M., et al. The search for radio emission from the exoplanetary systems 55 Cancri, Upsilon Andromedae, and tau Bootis using LOFAR beam-formed observations. A&A. 645. 59. 2021
Turner J.D., de Mooij E.J.W., Jayawardhana R., et al. Detection of Ionized Calcium in the Atmosphere of the Ultra-hot Jupiter KELT-9b. ApJL. 888. 13. 2020
Ridden-Harper A., Turner J.D., Jayawardhana R. TESS Observations of the Hot Jupiter Exoplanet XO-6b: No Evidence of Transit Timing Variations.. AJ. 160. 249. 2020
Turner J.D., Griessmeier J.-M., Zarka P., et al. The search for radio emission from exoplanets using LOFAR beam-formed observations: Jupiter as an exoplanet. A&A. 624A. 40. 2019