Welcome!
Welcome!
Embedded Files
We are the SPORES-HWO collaboration.
We are the SPORES-HWO collaboration.
Our group focuses on precursor observations and analyses that will enable the future Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Read on to learn more, or use the navigation bar at the top to explore our work!
Our group focuses on precursor observations and analyses that will enable the future Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Read on to learn more, or use the navigation bar at the top to explore our work!
Spores of the moss Bartramia ithyphylla. Kristian Peters, Wikipedia
From protozoa to fungi, spores have enabled life to flourish here on Earth throughout much of geological history. But does life exist on worlds other than our own? Today, humans are on the precipice of addressing this fundamental question with cutting-edge science and technology. This is the primary goal of the HWO mission concept.
We are the SPORES group (Stellar/System Properties & Observational Reconnaissance for Exoplanet Studies with HWO), a cross-institutional, interdisciplinary team of astronomers and planetary scientists preparing for the HWO era. Our main goal is to maximize precursor and preparatory knowledge of potential target stars for HWO's future exoEarth survey. Our team is led by Caleb Harada (UC Berkeley), Dr. Courtney Dressing (UC Berkeley) and Dr. Stephen Kane (UC Riverside).
What is HWO?
What is HWO?
HWO is a NASA mission concept that stems from the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey, "Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s" (Astro2020). HWO will be a large, ultra-stable, IR/O/UV space telescope optimized for high-contrast (1e-10) imaging and spectroscopy. Its primary goal will be to conduct a survey of the habitable zones (HZs) of nearby stars to discover potentially habitable Earth-like worlds and search their atmospheres for global biospheres. With its unprecedented stability and sensitivity, HWO will also be a transformative facility for the general astrophysics community.
For the latest HWO updates, visit NASA or the official HWO website.
Page updated
Report abuse