Atmospheric scintillation caused by optical turbulence in the Earth’s atmosphere can be the dominant source of noise in ground-based photometric observations of bright targets, which is a particular concern for […]
astro-ph.IM
Posted inImaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
A Snapshot Full-Stokes Spectropolarimeter For Detecting Life On Earth
We present the design of a point-and-shoot non-imaging full-Stokes spectropolarimeter dedicated to detecting life on Earth from an orbiting platform like the ISS. We specifically aim to map circular polarization […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Remote Sensing of Exoplanetary Atmospheres With Ground-based High-resolution Near-infrared Spectroscopy
Thanks to the advances in modern instrumentation we have learned about many exoplanets that span a wide range of masses and composition. Studying their atmospheres provides insight into planetary origin, […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
The Nine Axes of Merit for Technosignature Searches
The diverse methodologies and myriad orthogonal proposals for the best technosignatures to search for in SETI can make it difficult to develop an effective and balanced search strategy, especially from […]
Posted inPress Release, SETI & Technosignatures
Technosignatures in Transit
Kepler, K2, TESS, and similar time-domain photometric projects, while designed with exoplanet detection in mind, are also well-suited projects for searches for large artificial structures orbiting other stars in the […]
Posted inPress Release, SETI & Technosignatures
Technosignatures in the Thermal Infrared
WISE, Gaia, and JWST provide an opportunity to compute the first robust upper limits on the energy supplies of extraterrestrial civilizations, both for stars in the Galaxy (Kardashev Type II […]
Posted inPress Release, SETI & Technosignatures
Searches for Technosignatures in Astronomy and Astrophysics
The search for life beyond the Solar System-a major part of the Planetary Systems thematic area of the Astro2020 Decadal process-includes the search for technological life. Although financial support for […]
Posted inPress Release, SETI & Technosignatures
Searches for Technosignatures: The State of the Profession
The search for life in the universe is a major theme of astronomy and astrophysics for the next decade. Searches for technosignatures are complementary to searches for biosignatures, in that […]
Posted inPlanetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Absolute Prioritization of Planetary Protection, Safety, and Avoiding Imperialism in All Future Science Missions: A Policy Perspective
The prioritization and improvement of ethics, planetary protection, and safety standards in the astro-sciences is the most critical priority as our scientific and exploratory capabilities progress, both within government agencies […]
Posted inPress Release, SETI & Technosignatures
SETI in the Spatio-Temporal Survey Domain
Traditional searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) or “technosignatures” focus on dedicated observations of single stars or regions in the sky to detect excess or transient emission from intelligent sources. The […]