The sky's the limit for a bright student who has won a prestigious place presenting his work to the world's oldest scientific academy.

Year 13 Colfox student Thaisen Chant will deliver a presentation to the Royal Society in London after completing a Nuffield Research Placement.

His research, ‘How does the composition of a star change throughout its lifetime?’ was carried out under the mentorship of Brian Sheen at Roseland Observatory in Cornwall.

Thaisen, currently studying physics, maths, further maths and chemistry at the Beaminster and Colfox Joint Sixth Form, applied to complete the project while in Year 12.

The project was commended by the Nuffield Foundation for the quality of research and his written report, which showed Thaisen’s ‘flair for science and scientific communication.'

Using astro-spectroscopy to develop a greater understanding of how the composition of stars change throughout their lifetime, Thaisen used cutting-edge equipment to capture a range of light from distant stars. The resulting images were studied, enabling the identification of the stars, their chemical composition and temperature. This information was then used to work out the age of the stars.

Thaisen has been selected to present his research at the Royal Society Student Conference in December. The event is highly competitive and only five from more than 1,000 applicants have been selected. The conference will celebrate student research projects from across the UK, putting young researchers centre stage and supporting investigative science in schools and colleges.

Rachel Delourme, Nuffield co-ordinator, said: "Thaisen was dedicated, creative, hard-working and resilient. His research is outstanding and a credit to him and his mentor. I am very proud that Thaisen has been selected to present his work at the Royal Society Conference."

Adam Teasdale, head of sixth form at Colfox Academy, said: "Thaisen dedicates himself completely to everything he does, whether in his studies or as part of the many extra-curricular activities he is involved in. He is truly exceptional, having passed GCSE astronomy aged 13, volunteering at the Norman Lockyer Observatory in Devon and working in the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. I am not surprised Thaisen has been selected to present at the Royal Society. He is a very talented student indeed and we are all very proud of him."

Thaisen added: ‘I’m really chuffed. This was a great opportunity to work with leading professionals. The project allowed me to use equipment that I would never have had a chance to use. It was a privilege. I would like to thank Colfox, Brian and Rachel for this incredible opportunity."