Margot has discovered and studied several
binary asteroids with radar and optical telescopes. His discoveries include
(87) Sylvia I Romulus,
(22) Kalliope I Linus,
S/2003 (379) 1,
(702) Alauda I Pichi üñëm, and the binary nature of
(69230) Hermes. In 2000, he obtained the first images of binary
near-Earth asteroids and described formation of the binary by a spin-up process. Margot and his research group have studied the influence of sunlight on the orbits and spins of asteroids, the
Yarkovsky and
YORP effects. In 2007, Margot and collaborators determined that
Mercury has a molten core from the analysis of small variations in the rotation rate of the planet. These observations also enabled a measurement of the size of the core based on a concept proposed by
Stan Peale. In 2012, Margot and graduate student Julia Fang analyzed
Kepler space telescope data to infer the architecture of planetary systems. They described planetary systems as "flatter than pancakes." They also showed that many planetary systems are dynamically packed. Margot proposed an extension to the
IAU definition of planet that applies to
exoplanets. Between 2006 and 2021, Margot and collaborators measured the spin of Venus with a
radar speckle tracking technique. They measured the orientation and
precession of the spin axis. They also measured the duration of the length of day and the amplitude of
length-of-day variations, which they attribute to transfer of momentum between the atmosphere and the solid planet. Since 2016, he has conducted searches for
technosignatures using large radio telescopes with UCLA students. Volunteers can contribute to
SETI through the "Are we alone in the universe?" citizen science collaboration. ==Honors and awards==