Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Technology Development

Presenter Full Name
Dr. Benjamin L. Gerard
Institution
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Year & Semester
2024 Fall
Presentation Date
November 18, 2024

US Astronomers have recently listed habitable exoplanet imaging — imaging and spectroscopy of a planet around another star that can harbor life on it's surface — as a top priority in the coming decades. However, our current telescopes and state-of-the-art technologies are insufficient to enable this high priority science goal. Dr. Gerard will discuss adaptive optics and coronagraphic technologies he has been developing to bridge this gap and help enable habitable exoplanet imaging in the coming decades.