HWO will be the first telescope designed specifically to search for signs of life on planets orbiting other stars. With a powerful set of instruments, it will also provide a platform for transformational astrophysics.
The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will be a large ultraviolet, optical, infrared space telescope. It will be the first specifically engineered to identify habitable, Earth-like planets next to relatively bright stars like our Sun with a coronagraph, and examine them for evidence of life.
The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is a future flagship space telescope for NASA Astrophysics that will build on the achievements of the Hubble, Webb, and Roman Space Observatories.
The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) represents a significant step in the field of astronomy and astrobiology. It is a proposed space telescope, designed with the primary goal of detecting and studying exoplanets, specifically those that may harbor conditions suitable for life.
NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory, or HWO, is a “Super Hubble” telescope that would directly image Earth-size exoplanets circling other stars. Using a JWST-size mirror and ultra-precise optics, HWO would scrutinize the atmospheres of these worlds for signs of life.
In recommending a “~6 meter IR/O/UV Observatory optimized for exoplanets and general astrophysics” as the first entrant to the maturation program, Astro2020 gave life to what will become one of the most powerful spaceborn observatories ever conceived. The IR/O/UV Observatory will directly image planetary systems around Sun-like stars, including Earth-like exoplanets, and characterize their ...
By exploring the birth, life, and death of stars, HWO follows the evolution of the elements over cosmic time. HWO will examine the conditions under which stars form, and the processes that drive, regulate, and extinguish star formation in the Milky Way and other galaxies.
Investing now — in both technology and workforce development — will position HWO for scientific, technical and programmatic success, and sustain U.S. global leadership at the frontier of space science and exploration in the decades to come.
The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is a large ultraviolet/optical/infrared space telescope recommended by the National Academies’ Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s.
