The ESA Ariel mission has been adopted for launch in 2029 and will conduct a survey of around one thousand exoplanetary atmospheres during its primary mission life. By providing homogeneous […]
Astronomy & Telescopes
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE): VII. Practical implementation of a kernel-nulling beam combiner with a discussion on instrumental uncertainties and redundancy benefits
Context: In the previous paper in this series, we identified that a pentagonal arrangement of five telescopes, using a kernel-nulling beam combiner, shows notable advantages for some important performance metrics […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Mapping The Surface Of Partially Cloudy Exoplanets Is Hard
Reflected light photometry of terrestrial exoplanets could reveal the presence of oceans and continents, hence placing direct constraints on the current and long-term habitability of these worlds.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Neptune
Inferring Shallow Surfaces On sub-Neptune Exoplanets With JWST
Planets smaller than Neptune and larger than Earth make up the majority of the discovered exoplanets. Those with H2-rich atmospheres are prime targets for atmospheric characterization. The transition between the […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
To Find Life On Other Planets, NASA Rocket Team Looks To The Stars
A NASA sounding rocket will observe a nearby star to learn how starlight affects the atmospheres of exoplanets – key information in the hunt for life outside our solar system. […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release
Physically-motivated Basis Functions For Temperature Maps Of Exoplanets
Thermal phase curves of exoplanet atmospheres have revealed temperature maps as a function of planetary longitude, often by sinusoidal decomposition of the phase curve.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, SETI & Technosignatures
On The Possibility Of An Artificial Origin For `Oumuamua
Science offers the privilege of following evidence, not prejudice. The first interstellar object discovered near Earth, Oumuamua, showed half a dozen anomalies relative to comets or asteroids in the Solar […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Neptune
Reflected Spectroscopy Of Small Exoplanets I: Determining The Atmospheric Composition Of sub-Neptunes Planets
Direct imaging of widely separated exoplanets from space will obtain their reflected light spectra and measure their atmospheric properties, and small and temperate planets will be the focus of the […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
Transmission Spectroscopy of the Earth-Sun System to Inform the Search for Extrasolar Life
Upcoming NASA astrophysics missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope will search for signs of life on planets transiting nearby stars. Doing so will require co-adding dozens of transmission […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Status Report
Periodic Table: Origins Of The Elements
This periodic table depicts the primary source on Earth for each element. In cases where two sources contribute fairly equally, both appear.