What if we spend decades building advanced telescopes to search for life on other planets and come up empty-handed? A recent study led by ETH Zurich researchers including corresponding author […]
Habitable Worlds Observatory
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Review And Prospects Of Hot Exozodiacal Dust Research For Future Exo-Earth Direct Imaging Missions
Hot exozodiacal dust is dust in the innermost regions of planetary systems, at temperatures around 1000K to 2000K, and commonly detected by near-infrared interferometry.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Optimising Radial Velocity Detection Limits for Southern Habitable Worlds Observatory Targets
The planned NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) flagship mission aims to image and spectroscopically characterise 25 Earth-size planets in the habitable zones of their stars.
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
Advancing European High-Contrast Imaging R&D Towards the Habitable Worlds Observatory
The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will enable a transformative leap in the direct imaging and characterization of Earth-like exoplanets.
![The [Na/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] abundance plot (Ensemble 4) showing the stars that are most likely to host a planet (green), the known planet hosts (blue), and the stars less likely to host a planet (orange). Histograms are also included that show the [Na/Fe] relative distribution to the right of the scatterplot and [Fe/H] relative distribution at the top. We note the clear sub-solar Na abundances for each experiment’s known and predicted planet hosts (see Section 5). - Small planets -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Utilizing-Machine-Learning-to-Predict.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Utilizing Machine Learning to Predict Host Stars and the Key Elemental Abundances of Small Planets
Stars and their associated planets originate from the same cloud of gas and dust, making a star’s elemental composition a valuable indicator for indirectly studying planetary compositions.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Cross-Model Validation of Coronagraphic Exposure Time Calculators for the Habitable Worlds Observatory: A Report from the Exoplanet Science Yield sub-Working Group
Estimating the exoplanet scientific productivity of the Habitable Worlds Observatory requires estimating science exposure times.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release, SETI & Technosignatures
Earth Detecting Earth
A research team led by Dr. Sofia Sheikh of the SETI Institute, in collaboration with the Characterizing Atmospheric Technosignatures project and the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center, set out to […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Effects of Planetary Mass Uncertainties on the Interpretation of the Reflectance Spectra of Earth-like Exoplanets
Atmospheric characterization of Earth-like exoplanets through reflected light spectroscopy is a key goal for upcoming direct imaging missions. A critical challenge in this endeavor is the accurate determination of planetary […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Existence Of Exoplanet HD 20794 d In A Habitable Zone Confirmed
An international team has confirmed the discovery of a super-Earth orbiting in the habitable zone of a nearby Sun-like star. The planet was originally detected two years ago by Oxford […]
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Probing The Limits of Habitability: A Catalog Of Rocky Exoplanets In The Habitable Zone
Several ground- and space-based searches have increased the number of known exoplanets to nearly 6000. While most are highly unlike our planet, the first rocky worlds in the Habitable Zone […]