[astro-ph.IM] To support the development of next-generation missions for the search and characterization of habitable planets, high-fidelity tools for astrophysical and instrumental noise simulations are needed.
coronagraph
![Schematic diagram of the simulated architecture. It includes the segmented primary mirror, an APLC coronagraph with an apodizer, a focal plane mask and a Lyot stop, two deformable mirrors, and an out-of-band and a low-order Zernike wavefront sensor. -- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/JWST-telemetry.png?resize=1200%2C712&ssl=1)
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
JWST Telemetry Combined With Active Coronagraphy: Raw Contrast Predictions For Exoplanet Imaging With The Habitable Worlds Observatory
[astro-ph.IM] We provide a quantification of the technological gap between the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) for the goal of exo-Earth imaging around Sun-like […]
![[LEFT] The MIRI F2100W observation of the HD 107146 system, shown in logarithmic scaling with the corresponding intensity levels indicated in the colorbar. [RIGHT] Contours from the ALMA observations obtained within the ARKS program (S. Marino et al. 2026), overlaid on the combined F182M and F210M JWST/NIRCam observations for HD 107146. -- [astro-ph.SR]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-JWSTNIRCam.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrogeology
The JWST/NIRCam Scattered Light Disks GTO 2780 program: Panchromatic coronagraphic imaging of the HD 10647, HD 32297, HD 61005, HD 107146, and HD 181327 debris disk systems
[astro-ph.SR]. Debris disks, composed of rocks, boulders, planetesimals, and the dust produced in their collisions, present the most readily observable components of mature planetary systems.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
Roman Space Telescope: Enabling Images Of Distant Worlds
[Max Planck Institute for Astronomy] The Roman Space Telescope is designed to directly image exoplanets using complex opto-mechanical systems developed by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy.
![Earth biosignatures through time and their reflected light spectra. The left subplot shows estimates of Earth’s bulk atmospheric composition through time (advancing from top to bottom), and the figures on the right show the corresponding reflected light spectra considered in this study. Key absorption features for biosignature gases (O3, O2, CH4) and suggested long- and short-wavelength cutoffs are highlighted (as discussed further in Sections 3 and 4). Adapted from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2021) and LUVOIR and HabEx Final Reports (LUVOIR Team, 2019; Gaudi et al., 2020). -- [Astrobiology (Journal)]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Wavelength.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Wavelength Requirements for Life Detection via Reflected Light Spectroscopy of Rocky Exoplanets
[Astrobiology (Journal)] Searching for signs of life is a primary goal of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). However, merely detecting oxygen, methane, or other widely discussed biosignatures is insufficient evidence […]
![Representative spectral energy distribution fits for four HWO ExEP target stars: HD 2151 (upper left), HD 3651 A (upper right), HD 4813 (lower left), and HD 10700 (lower right). In each panel, the solid curve represents the best-fitting Pickles (1998) template spectrum, and the filled circles show the broadband photometry with associated uncertainties. Photometric error bars are shown in the y-direction, and filter widths in the x-direction. Fractional residuals between the template flux averaged over each bandpass and the literature photometry are shown in the lower sub-panels. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Spectral-Energy.png?resize=1200%2C716&ssl=1)
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
Spectral Energy Distribution Analysis For Habitable Worlds Observatory Target Stars
[astro-ph.EP] The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will directly image and characterize planets potentially similar to Earth orbiting nearby stars.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Exploration Of Exoplanet Atmospheres With The James Webb Space Telescope
[astro-ph.EP] The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is providing transformative characterization capabilities for the study of both transiting and directly imaged extrasolar planets. Observations deep into the infrared in the […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
ANDES, The High-resolution Spectrograph Oof The ELT: Simulated Performance Of The CORO Module And Overview Of The High-contrast Capabilities For Exoplanet Observations
[astro-ph.IM] We present the simulated performance of the coronagraph (CORO) module for ANDES, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) high-resolution spectrograph.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Connecting Polarization To Exoplanet Yield Calculations For Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)
The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) aims to enable the detection and characterization of Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars to search for possible signs of life elsewhere in our universe.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Japan’s Possible Contributions For Coronagraph Of The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)
In this paper, we describe Japan’s possible contributions for coronagraph of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) based on our independent study.