MINERVA: Driving a new golden age of exoplanetary science with small telescopes
Exoplanetary science has undergone a revolution of new discoveries thanks to the Kepler mission and extreme precision radial velocities. The next revolution will be one of understanding - a "great unveiling" as we learn the detailed properties of the planetary systems in the Solar neighbourhood. The MINiature Exoplanet Radial Velocity Array (MINERVA) is a new multi-telescope facility dedicated to understanding the nearest planetary systems. MINERVA is now fully operational at the F.L. Whipple Observatory in Arizona. I describe some results from our photometric observations, including the discovery of a disintegrating minor planet transiting a white dwarf. I also demonstrate our radial velocity precision. Finally, I introduce MINERVA-Australis, a similar array of up to 6 telescopes located at the University of Southern Queensland's Mt Kent Observatory for follow-up validation and multicolour characterisation of K2, AST3, and TESS planet candidates. As a dedicated southern hemisphere observatory, MINERVA-Australis represents a prime opportunity for enhanced collaboration between Australian and Asian astronomy communities.