![The telescope flying in formation with the starshade. The telescope can detect and characterize exoplanets viewable near or beyond the angular radius of the starshade as seen from the telescope, which defines the inner working angle (IWA). Figure adopted from the Habex final report [9].-- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Propulsion.jpg?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.IM] We assess how propulsion and operational constraints affect exo-Earth characterization with a starshade rendezvous mission for a Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)-like telescope at Sun-Earth L2.
Starshade
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
Optimization of Petal-Shaped Occulters for Exo-Earth Observation
[astro-ph.IM] Petal-shaped occulters are giant, formation-flying optical devices designed for use in space astronomy.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Ultraviolet Reflected-Light Spectroscopy of Modern Earth Analogs with Starshade Observations
[astro-ph.EP] Characterizing rocky, habitable zone planets in reflected light is a key science objective for future direct imaging missions, and the ultraviolet (UV) is uniquely suited for supporting the characterization […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release
New Ultra-Black Coating Could Enable the Search for Life on Exoplanets
What is a Starshade and What Could it Do?
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The Observation Of Earth-like Exoplanets With Ground-based Telescopes And A Shared Orbiting Starshade
Imaging Earth-like exoplanets around Sun-like stars from the ground is challenging and requires substantial advances in techniques. This Perspective presents and provides the predicted performance of a hybrid space–ground approach […]
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, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Efficient Exoplanet Imaging Simulations of the Habitable Worlds Observatory
Direct imaging simulations of starshades and other proposed mission concepts are needed to characterize planet detection performance and inform mission design trades.
![Example of ICA-based background subtraction results for “R05 v2 rez2 snr3 1em10” scenario from the Quartus Engineering analysis. A 2 × 3 set of subplots is shown where rows 1 and 2 correspond to passbands [425- 522] and [615-800] respectively. Columns 1, 2, and 3 of the plot correspond to the original image, the estimated background, and the residual, respectively. -- astro-ph.IM](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Starshade-Exoplanet-Data-Challenge.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Citizen Science / Open Science, Education and Outreach, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Starshade Exoplanet Data Challenge: What We Learned
Starshade is one of the technologies that will enable the observation and characterization of small planets around nearby stars through direct imaging.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
NIAC Phase 1 Proposal: Hybrid Observatory for Earth-like Exoplanets (HOEE)
We propose the first hybrid observatory, combining a 100 m diameter starshade in space with a telescope on the ground. The Hybrid Observatory for Earth-like Exoplanets (HOEE) would convert the […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Doppler Constraints on Planetary Companions to Nearby Sun-like Stars: An Archival Radial Velocity Survey of Southern Targets for Proposed NASA Direct Imaging Missions
Directly imaging temperate rocky planets orbiting nearby, Sun-like stars with a 6-m-class IR/O/UV space telescope, recently dubbed the Habitable Worlds Observatory, is a high priority goal of the Astro2020 Decadal […]