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Related papers: Characterizing Earth analogs may require a moderat…

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The highest priority recommendation of the Astro2020 Decadal Survey for space-based astronomy was the construction of an observatory capable of characterizing habitable worlds. In this paper series we explore the detectability of and…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2024-05-07 Mary Anne Limbach , Jacob Lustig-Yaeger , Andrew Vanderburg , Johanna M. Vos , Rene Heller , Tyler D. Robinson

We present the result of calculations to optimize the search for molecular oxygen (O2) in Earth analogs transiting around nearby, low-mass stars using ground-based, high-resolution, Doppler shift techniques. We investigate a series of…

The instrument payload of the future Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will span a wide range of wavelengths, including the ultraviolet (UV) region that cannot be easily accessed from the ground (< 350 nm). Along with its primary mission…

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics · Physics 2025-07-11 Richard J. Cartwright , Lynnae Quick , Marc Neveu , Tracy M. Becker , Ujjwal Raut , Julie Castillo-Rogez , Kate L. Craft , Geronimo L. Villanueva

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will be a large ultraviolet/optical/near-infrared space telescope operating at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2. HWO was highly recommended by the National Academies` 2020 decadal survey and will be the…

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics · Physics 2026-01-22 Grace Sweetak , Breann Sitarski , Kevin France , Randall McEntaffer , Richard Cartwright

Astrometry, one of the oldest branches of astronomy, has been revolutionized by missions like Hipparcos and especially Gaia, which mapped billions of stars with extraordinary precision. However, challenges such as detecting Earth-like…

As the architecture for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is being developed, it is crucial to optimize the observing strategies for a survey to detect and characterize Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars. Efficient target…

Following the recommendations to NASA and ESA, the search for life on exoplanets will be a priority in the next decades. Two direct imaging space mission concepts are being developed: the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) and the Large…

Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will search for biosignatures from Earth-size exoplanets in the habitable zones of nearby stars. The wavelength range for biosignatures used by the HabEx and LUVOIR mission concept studies was 200 nm to 2…

A goal of the future Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is to directly image and spectroscopically characterize true Earth-analogs. However, if a large fraction of HWO target stars host unknown dynamically disruptive giant planets in their…

Understanding planetary habitability requires a comparative approach that explores the divergent evolutionary outcomes of Earth and Venus. The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will be uniquely positioned to conduct a statistical and…

Visible and ultraviolet imaging and spectroscopy of Solar System giant planets can set the paradigm for the atmospheric, ionospheric, and magnetospheric processes shaping the diversity of giant exoplanets, brown dwarfs, and their…

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics · Physics 2025-10-22 Leigh N. Fletcher , Amy Simon , Michael H. Wong , Jonathan D. Nichols , Nick A. Teanby , Conor A. Nixon , Marina Galand

Executive Summary: The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is the first astrophysics flagship mission with a key cross-divisional astrobiology science goal of searching for signs of life on rocky planets beyond our solar system. The Living…

NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) aims to achieve starlight suppression to the $10^{-10}$ level for the detection and spectral characterization of Earth-like exoplanets. Broadband ozone absorption features are key biosignatures that…

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). Using an improved model…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2025-08-06 Giulia Roccetti , Michael F. Sterzik , Julia V. Seidel , Claudia Emde , Mihail Manev , Stefano Bagnulo

NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will be the first space telescope capable of directly imaging Earth-like planets in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars to probe their atmospheres for signs of life. Now in its early stages of…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2025-06-30 Katie E. Painter , Brendan P. Bowler , Kyle Franson , Juliette C. Becker , Jennifer A. Burt

The primary scientific objective of this Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Science Case Development Document (SCDD) is to measure planetary rotation rates of transiting exoplanets to determine the structure, composition, circulation, and…

We propose to search for biosignatures in the spectra of reflected light from about 100 Earth-sized planets that are already known to be orbiting in their habitable zones (HZ). For a sample of G and K type hosts, most of these planets will…

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) offers a unique opportunity to revolutionize our understanding of planetary formation and evolution. The goal of this Science Case Development Document (SCDD) is to investigate the physical and…

A primary scientific goal of the future Habitable Worlds Observatory will be the direct detection and characterization of Earth-like planets. Estimates of the exoplanet yields for this concept will help guide mission design through detailed…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2024-04-10 Christopher C. Stark , Natasha Latouf , Avi M. Mandell , Amber Young

Exoplanet direct imaging allows us to directly probe and characterize an exoplanet's atmosphere, searching for signs of life in its atmospheric signatures. Directly imaging an Earth-like planet around a Sun-like star requires reaching…