Tom Seccull
tom.seccull@proton.me | Planetary Astronomer | Applications Scientist at Oxford Instruments
Hi there! I’m an Applications Scientist for Astronomy and Quantum Imaging at Oxford Instruments. In this role, my experience working in astronomical research and instrumentation helps me to support customers and sales representatives in the application of Andor and First Light Imaging scientific cameras to astronomical and quantum research. I’m based at Oxford Instruments Andor in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Before joining OI I held a four year Science Fellowship at the International Gemini Observatory (itself a part of the US National Science Foundation’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Laboratory, or NOIRLab). In this role I was based at Gemini North in Hilo, Hawai’i, and my time was split equally between planetary science research and operational support of the 8.1 m Gemini North telescope. I received my PhD in Planetary Astronomy from Queen’s University Belfast in 2020, advised by Wesley Fraser (now at the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics and the University of Victoria). I received my MSci in Physics with Astrophysics in 2015, also from QUB.
I make a living as an Applications Scientist and continue to actively research the Solar System’s minor planet populations in my free time. I’m most interested in studying the reflectance spectra of primitive and icy minor planets from the outer solar system (Trans-Neptunian Objects, Centaurs, Trojan Asteroids, and Comets) to measure their compositions. Uncovering the signatures of the materials that make up these objects informs us about their formation environment and how their surfaces have evolved over time. From this it’s possible to infer details about the processes that sculpt planetary systems. I also take an interest in the development of software tools and observational methods that can improve both the accuracy and precision of minor planet spectra observed with ground-based telescopes.
This site documents my work, including my research projects, software, contributions to publications, astronomical observations, and presentations at conferences.