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Chris Stockdale uses a backyard observatory in Victoria, Australia, to discover exoplanets by tracking changes in star brightness
His passion for astronomy began in the 1960s, inspired by the Apollo program and early morning comet viewings with his father
Stockdale received the 2026 Berenice and Arthur Page Medal for his contributions to astronomy as an amateur astronomer
One man discovered over 100 exoplanets, all from the comfort of his backyard.
Chris Stockdale, who lives in Victoria, Australia, has a backyard observatory, which includes a “telescope mounted on a precision tracking system” to watch star fields and other parts of the sky, according to ABC Gippsland.
His passion for outer space began in the 1960s. “I got into astronomy because of the Apollo program at the time and the Moon landings,” he said.
“And also there were a couple of bright comets and I remember my father getting me up at 4 am to have a look at these comets that were in the sky and it was really good,” he added.
Chris Stockdale (right) receiving his honor.
Credit: Courtesy of Science in Public
Stockdale specifically looks for exoplanets, which are planets beyond our solar system that mostly orbit other stars, according to NASA. As of April 2026, there are 6,158 confirmed exoplanets.
He spots these through tracking changes in a star’s brightness, which dims when a planet passes in front of it.
“It was a case of which star caused the actual dip in the light that was associated with a planet crossing in front of the star, as we would see it,” he explained. “Just a small dip, which was typically .5% or 1%, so not very much.”
“I do analysis to tease out the dip or assign it so I know it’s another star over there, which could be an eclipsing binary as an example,” he added about how his tracking process works.
He has been a member of the Latrobe Valley Astronomical Society in Gippsland since 1971, according to the Astronomical Association of Queensland. He built his first observatory in 1992, and “upgraded” it with a Sirius dome in 2013.
Chris Stockdale.
Credit: Courtesy of Science in Public
Stockdale’s discoveries and dedication resulted in the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA) awarding him the 2026 Berenice and Arthur Page Medal. He said he felt “incredibly proud and honored” of the special achievement.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Astronomical Society of Australia for comment.
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“It’s a way for professional astronomers to really celebrate and highlight the incredible work that’s being done by amateur astronomers,” Dr. Tanya Hill, Melbourne’s Scienceworks’ ASA representative and resident astronomer, explained to ABC Gippsland.
Hill added, “And I know when the committee realized that and saw the fantastic endorsements that he had from the collaborations with the professional astronomers, it was clear that Chris was definitely a great recipient for the medal.”
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