This paper advances the concept maturity level (CML) of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) servicing architecture.
telescope
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Optical Design Pathways to Fluidic Space-Assembled Reflectors & Dual-Configuration Spectrographs for Characterizing Exo-Earths
Fluidic Telescopes – We present a conceptual framework for optically designing space-assembled telescopes whose primary mirror is formed in situ via the enabling, scale-invariant technology of fluidic shaping.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Bringing The Digital Revolution To Direct Exoplanet Imaging With PLACID’s LCD Technology
A game-changing instrument is set to improve the detection and direct imaging of planets outside our Solar System by harnessing the power of liquid crystals.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Habitable World Discovery and Characterization: Coronagraph Concept of Operations and Data Post-Processing
The discovery and characterization of habitable worlds was the top scientific recommendation of the Astro2020 decadal survey and is a key objective of the Habitable Worlds Observatory.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Testing The Performance Of Cross-correlation Techniques To Search For Molecular Features In JWST NIRSpec G395H Observations Of Transiting Exoplanets
Cross-correlations techniques offer an alternative method to search for molecular species in JWST observations of exoplanet atmospheres.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Beta Pictoris, Status Report
Debris Disks And Their Properties With The Habitable Worlds Observatory
The study of the last stages of planet formation, also known as debris disks, is fundamental to place constrains on the formation of planetary sized bodies.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report
HWO Target Stars And Systems: A Prioritized Community List of Potential Stellar Targets For The Habitable Worlds Observatory’s ExoEarth Survey
The HWO Target Stars and Systems 2025 (TSS25) list is a community-developed catalog of potential stellar targets for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) in its survey to directly image Earth-sized […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Crank-rocker Optical Fiber Mode Scrambler Prototype For The GMT-Consortium Large Earth Finder (G-CLEF)
When coherent light propagates through a multimode optical fiber, the modes interfere at the fiber exit boundary, producing a high-contrast speckle interference pattern called modal noise.
Posted inAlpha Centauri, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Seeking The Worlds Of Avatar: Prospects for Detecting Moons Orbiting a Giant Planet in Alpha Centauri A’s Habitable Zone
Nearby giant exoplanets offer an opportunity to search for moons (exomoons) orbiting them. Here, we present a simulation framework for investigating the possibilities of detecting exomoons via their astrometric signal […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Calculating Occultation Light Curves using Wavelets: Exponential Atmospheres and the Constraints of Static Stability
The signatures of waves are seen during many high-quality ground-based refractive stellar occultations by solar system atmospheres.