Detecting life outside our solar system with a large high-contrast-imaging mission

Snellen, Ignas A. G.; Snik, F.; Kenworthy, M.; Albrecht, S.; Anglada-Escudé, G.; Baraffe, I.; Baudoz, P.; Benz, W.; Beuzit, J. -L.; Biller, B.; Birkby, J. L.; Boccaletti, A.; van Boekel, R.; de Boer, J.; Brogi, Matteo; Buchhave, L.; Carone, L.; Claire, M.; Claudi, R.; Demory, B. -O.; Désert, J. -M.; Desidera, S.; Gaudi, B. S.; Gratton, R.; Gillon, M.; Grenfell, J. L.; Guyon, O.; Henning, T.; Hinkley, S.; Huby, E.; Janson, M.; Helling, C.; Heng, K.; Kasper, M.; Keller, C. U.; Krause, O.; Kreidberg, L.; Madhusudhan, N.; Lagrange, A. -M.; Launhardt, R.; Lenton, T. M.; Lopez-Puertas, M.; Maire, A. -L.; Mayne, N.; Meadows, V.; Mennesson, B.; Micela, G.; Miguel, Y.; Milli, J.; Min, M.; de Mooij, E.; Mouillet, D.; N'Diaye, M.; D'Orazi, V.; Palle, E.; Pagano, I.; Piotto, G.; Queloz, D.; Rauer, H.; Ribas, I.; Ruane, G.; Selsis, F.; Sozzetti, A.; Stam, D.; Stark, C. C.; Vigan, A.; de Visser, Pieter
Bibliographical reference

Experimental Astronomy

Advertised on:
12
2022
Number of authors
67
IAC number of authors
1
Citations
3
Refereed citations
2
Description
In this White Paper, which was submitted in response to the European Space Agency (ESA) Voyage 2050 Call, we recommend the ESA plays a proactive role in developing a global collaborative effort to construct a large high-contrast imaging space telescope, e.g. as currently under study by NASA. Such a mission will be needed to characterize a sizable sample of temperate Earth-like planets in the habitable zones of nearby Sun-like stars and to search for extraterrestrial biological activity. We provide an overview of relevant European expertise, and advocate ESA to start a technology development program towards detecting life outside the Solar System.
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Exoplanets and Astrobiology
The search for life in the universe has been driven by recent discoveries of planets around other stars (known as exoplanets), becoming one of the most active fields in modern astrophysics. The growing number of new exoplanets discovered in recent years and the recent advance on the study of their atmospheres are not only providing new valuable
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