Nautilus Array to Track Missing Exoplanet Atmospheres
Researchers have proposed the Nautilus Space Observatory, a constellation of telescopes designed to study the evolution of exoplanet atmospheres. The mission aims to provide insights into how planets like super-Earths and sub-Neptunes form and evolve over time.
Why it matters
Advancing our understanding of exoplanetary atmospheres is a critical step in the search for biosignatures and life beyond our solar system.
Exoplanet atmospheres have become prima targets for astrobiologists in the search for life beyond Earth. This is because exoplanet surfaces can’t be directly imaged yet, so astronomers must get creative with how to search for signs of life, also called biosignatures. Presently, powerful ground- and space-based telescopes like the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are improving in their ability to observe and analyze exoplanet atmospheres. But did these atmospheres form and evolve, and what could this mean for the search for life beyond Earth?
The article is a technical report on a scientific proposal with no political or social agenda.
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