ASTRONOMY COLLOQUIUM

A key goal in the field of exoplanet science is obtaining direct images and spectra of Earth-like planets to assess their habitability. These "exo-Earths" are so faint both in absolute terms and relative to their host stars, that they pose extreme technical challenges, ranging from picometer-level optical accuracy to near-noiseless detectors. Efforts to overcome these challenges have gained renewed momentum with the Decadal Survey's recommendation to prioritize a large ultraviolet/optical/infrared space telescope capable of imaging and obtaining spectra of approximately 25 exo-Earths.

I will review the goals, challenges, and road ahead, while also highlighting the significant benefits this technical development is now beginning to bring to ground-based astronomy. These include improvements in sensitivity, angular resolution, spectroscopy, and
astrometry, encompassing a diverse array of science from our own solar system to the faintest galaxies in the universe.