My full published works can be accessed on ADS.
M. J. Hooton, S. Hoyer, D. Kitzmann et al. — Astronomy & Astrophysics, A75, 2022
Using CHEOPS secondary eclipses and a Spitzer phase curve, I marginally detected reflected light from an ultra-hot Jupiter. I also present a novel framework in which multi-colour transit photometry can be used to measure the obliquity of planets transiting rapidly rotating stars.
M. J. Hooton, C. A. Watson, E. J. W. de Mooij et al. — The Astrophysical Journal Letters, L25, 2018
I acquired a secondary eclipse observation of KELT-9b — the hottest known exoplanet — at wavelengths sufficiently short that we expect little to no thermal emission, to test an emerging trend of ultra-hot Jupiters with very low dayside reflectivity. I was able to place an upper limit on the geometric albedo of 0.18 at 3 sigma.
M. J. Hooton, E. J. W. de Mooij, C. A. Watson et al. — Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2397–2406, 2019
I presented two ground-based secondary eclipse observations of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-12b acquired a year apart. The measured secondary eclipse depth differed at the 3 sigma level. These observations either demonstrate measurable time variability in the thermal emission properties of the WASP-12b dayside, or demonstrate the difficulty of attempting to accurately characterise the atmospheres of exoplanets from the ground.
C. E. Fisher, M. J. Hooton, A. Gressier et al. — Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2026
As joint first author with my colleague Chloe Fisher, I used a JWST NIRSpec observation to measure the transmission spectrum of the ultra-hot terrestrial planet TOI-1685 b, with the aim of detecting evidence of an atmosphere that outgassed from the surface, rather than a primordial atmosphere captured during formation. The transmission spectrum was consistent with an atmosphere consisting of heavy molecules or a bare rock.
C. Janó Muñoz, M. J. Hooton, P. P. Pedersen et al. — Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 630–641, 2025
Led by Clàudia Janó Muñoz, the PhD student jointly supervised by Nobel Prize winner Didier Queloz and myself, we used a recently commissioned near-infrared camera at SPECULOOS South Observatory to discover and characterise a Neptune-sized planet on the edge of the M dwarf Neptune desert.
A. Leleu, Y. Alibert, N. C. Hara, M. J. Hooton et al. — Astronomy & Astrophysics, A26, 2021
This paper was the culmination of a topsy-turvy story in which we used an unprecedented 11-day CHEOPS observation to confirm what we thought was the first exoplanets in a horseshoe co-orbital configuration, similar to the moons of Saturn Epimetheus and Janus. While the CHEOPS observation ruled this out, it revealed a system of planets in a rare Laplacian resonant chain — like the Galilean moons of Jupiter — and allowed my colleague Adrien Leleu to predict the period of a previously undetected planet. I helped plan the CHEOPS follow-up and provided the global transit modelling.
L. Delrez, D. Ehrenreich, Y. Alibert … M. J. Hooton et al. — Nature Astronomy, 775–787, 2021
When you think you are observing a routine, predictable CHEOPS observation of a known transiting planet, and a 100-day period planet not known to transit appears in the middle! I contributed global transit and radial velocity fitting.
A. Deline, M. J. Hooton, M. Lendl et al. — Astronomy & Astrophysics, A74, 2022
One of the hottest known exoplanets, I extensively modelled the variations present in the CHEOPS phase curve, though interpretations were limited by the Gamma Doradus pulsations of the host star. Quite confusingly, this paper was subsequently cited to justify the statement “importantly, astrology is neither myth nor superstition.”
R. Luque, H. P. Osborn, A. Leleu … M. J. Hooton et al. — Nature, 932–937, 2023
Another feat of mean-motion-resonance wizardry by Adrien Leleu to predict the periods of outer planets. I was involved with the planning and transit modelling of this remarkable system of six sub-Neptunes, all orbiting one of the brightest known exoplanet host stars. This system promises to be one of the landmarks in our understanding of planetary formation.
M. Gillon, P. P. Pedersen, B. V. Rackham … M. J. Hooton et al. — Nature Astronomy, 865–878, 2024
The first exoplanet detected solely using the SPECULOOS observatory, for which I maintain and develop the analysis pipeline. Orbiting the second coolest star around which an exoplanet has been detected, this will likely become a key target for JWST observations to understand heat circulation around hot, terrestrial exoplanets.
T. G. Wilson, A. M. Simpson, A. Collier Cameron … M. J. Hooton et al. — Science, 2026
An outstanding four-planet system around a cool, metal-poor star, allowing the study of how planets form in gas-depleted disks. I planned and coordinated the CHEOPS observations on which the planetary detections were based.