SXP390 Student Prize 2024 - “OU student wins prize for study of the exoplanet Kepler-452b”

Each year the School of Physics recognises the achievement of its students through a series of prizes.

One of those is the Paul Lidgett Prize, awarded to the most innovative and analytical student studying SXP390. This prize was endowed by a legacy in 2016 from Mr Paul Lidgett, an OU graduate who studied many OU modules. 

The 2024 winner is Matthew Clay, who had the following to say:

Studying Astronomy and Planetary Science at the OU has been very rewarding, and a challenge that I’ve enjoyed at every stage. My interest in Astronomy stems simply from beginning to look up at the night sky, which soon turned into looking through telescopes, to attempts at astrophotography, and eventually to deciding that this is what I wanted to study and pursue as a career. I had always had an interest in physics, but having started as a law student at another University (and quickly realising it wasn’t for me), the OU made it possible for me to study this fascinating, ever-evolving subject. I am now planning to continue to postgraduate study in astronomy, keen to continue studying exoplanets and hopefully contribute to the detection and characterisation of the enormous number of planets in our Galaxy.