Astrophysics with Kepler
The Kepler Mission of NASA's 10th Discovery mission whose primary objective is to find Earth-sized exoplanets in habitable zones. The Kepler observatory continuously monitors 105 square degrees of sky near the Cygnus-Lyra region, about 13.5 degrees from the Galactic plane. Kepler can also provide unprecedented high precision time-series photometry at either the long (30 minute) or short (1 minute) cadence. The Kepler Guest Observer Program supports the astronomical community on astrophysics research, ranging from eclipsing star systems, asteroseismology, dynamic eruptive or cataclysmic variable stars to active galactic nuclei. The Kepler data are being released to the public, and the Guest Observer Office is dedicated to supporting the community. This talk will focus on the science currently being done, but also some resources to help jump start future research.