Direct imaging of exoplanets is a challenging task due to the small angular distance and high contrast relative to their host star, and the presence of quasi-static noise.
telescope
Posted inEuropa, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Sharpest Earth-based Images Of Europa and Ganymede Reveal Their Icy Landscapes
The cocktail of chemicals that make up the frozen surfaces on two of Jupiter’s largest moons are revealed in the most detailed images ever taken of them by a telescope […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Simulating Reflected Light Coronagraphy Of Earth-like Exoplanets With Large IR/O/UV Space Telescope: Impact And Calibration Of Smooth Exozodiacal Dust
Observing Earth-like exoplanets orbiting within the habitable zone of Sun-like stars and studying their atmospheres in reflected starlight requires contrasts of ∼1e−10 in the visible.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, SETI & Technosignatures
Panoramic SETI: Program Update and High-Energy Astrophysics Applications
Optical SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) instruments that can explore the very fast time domain, especially with large sky coverage, offer an opportunity for new discoveries that can complement multimessenger […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Atmospheric Retrievals For LIFE And Other Future Space Missions: The Importance Of Mitigating Systematic Effects
Atmospheric retrieval studies are essential to determine the science requirements for future generation missions, such as the Large Interferometer for Exoplanets (LIFE).
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
SPECULOOS Northern Observatory: Searching For Red Worlds In The Northern Skies
SPECULOOS is a ground-based transit survey consisting of six identical 1-m robotic telescopes. The immediate goal of the project is to detect temperate terrestrial planets transiting nearby ultracool dwarfs (late […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Segment-level Thermal Sensitivity Analysis For Exo-Earth Imaging
We present a segment-level wavefront stability error budget for space telescopes essential for exoplanet detection. We use a detailed finite element model to relate the temperature gradient at the location […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Global Dynamics And Architecture Of The Kepler-444 System
Segment-level wavefront tolerance maps required to maintain a mean dark hole contrast of 10−11 for the narrow-angle APLC at a wavelength of 500 nm. Each segment shows the limit of […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Moon, Press Release
OWL-Moon: Very high Resolution Spectropolarimetric Interferometry And Imaging From The Moon: Exoplanets To Cosmology
We outline a concept for OWL-Moon, a 50-100m aperture telescope located on the surface of the Moon, to address three major areas in astronomy, namely the detection of biosignatures on […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Cubesats and smallsats, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Twinkle: A Small Satellite Spectroscopy Mission For The Next Phase Of Exoplanet Science
With a focus on off-the-shelf components, Twinkle is the first in a series of cost competitive small satellites managed and financed by Blue Skies Space Ltd. The satellite is based […]