[UT Austin] Using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory, astronomers have taken a closer look at a nearby exoplanet and discovered it may be more Earth-like than previously thought. The […]
ELT
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Atmospheric Constraints On GJ 1214 b From CRIRES+ And Prospects For Characterisation With ANDES
In this study, we aim to constrain the atmospheric composition of GJ 1214 b using all available transits observed with the upgraded CRIRES+ spectrograph at the VLT by searching for […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Climates Of Terrestrial Exoplanets And Biosignatures
Understanding the climates of terrestrial exoplanets and the detectability of biosignatures is an inherently interdisciplinary challenge, requiring the integration of insights from Solar System exploration, exoplanet observations and climate science. […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report
Maximizing The Sensitivity Of ELT To Habitable Worlds With A Space-based Starshade
The ELT will provide groundbreaking science across a wide range of areas, including small habitable-zone exoplanets; however, true Earth analogs in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars are generally beyond […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Proxima Centauri
Conclusive Tests For The RISTRETTO Proxima b Exoplanet Explorer
The RISTRETTO project, dedicated to observing Proxima b –the closest exoplanet to the Solar System — is reaching a new milestone: several key components of this high-precision spectrograph have been […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Unraveling The Non-equilibrium Chemistry Of The Temperate Sub-Neptune K2-18 b
The search for habitable, Earth-like exoplanets faces major observational challenges due to their small size and faint signals.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
SPECULOOS: Five Years Hunting Terrestrial Planets Around Ultra-cool Dwarfs
The SPECULOOS (Search for habitable Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars) project aims to detect temperate terrestrial planets transiting nearby ultracool dwarfs, including late M-dwarf stars and brown dwarfs, which are well-suited […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Planet Earth in Reflected and Polarized Light: II. Refining Contrast Estimates for Rocky Exoplanets with ELT and HWO
The characterization of nearby rocky exoplanets will become feasible with the next generation of telescopes, such as the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) and the mission concept Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO).
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
A Super-Earth Discovered In The Habitable Zone Of Nearby Red Dwarf GJ 3998
An international team, led by a student from Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), has detected a super-Earth orbiting in the habitable zone of GJ 3998, a nearby red dwarf […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Simulating The Detectability Of A Range Of Molecules For High-contrast, High-resolution Observations Of Non-transiting Terrestrial Exoplanets
The upcoming extremely large telescopes will provide the first opportunity to search for signs of habitability and life on non-transiting terrestrial exoplanets using high-contrast, high-resolution instrumentation.