Tom Wagg

Tom Wagg is a British amateur astronomer who, at the age of 15, discovered the exoplanet WASP-142b. While undertaking work experience at Keele University in 2015, Wagg was tasked with sifting through data collected by the Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP) project. He identified a transit signature which was initially dismissed as noise, but his persistence led to further investigation and confirmation of the planet's existence. WASP-142b is a gas giant approximately the size of Jupiter, orbiting a star about 1,000 light-years from Earth. Wagg's discovery highlights the potential for citizen scientists and young people to contribute meaningfully to astronomical research. His name is now associated with the discovery of this exoplanet.