The Habitable Worlds Observatory with Evgenya Shkolnik

About This Episode

Are there habitable worlds that look nothing like Earth? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen discuss NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory and its eventual search for life beyond our solar system with astrophysicist Evgenya Shkolnik.

Learn about SPARCS, a backpack-sized, 9-centimeter CubeSat telescope that studies the ultraviolet light of stars known to host planets. How did we go from zero known exoplanets to data showing the average star has at least one? What does “habitable” really mean? They break down the Goldilocks zone, why water must actually be present, and why habitable doesn’t mean inhabited. Is it bias to look for Earth-like life? They discuss biosignatures, extremophiles, and why we start with what we know.

We explore the Habitable Worlds Observatory. You’ll learn about what instruments are planned and how those tools will help us locate habitable worlds and more. We discuss how UV light can erode atmospheres or fake biosignatures, why red dwarfs offer the most habitable real estate but are turbulent. Do planets need magnetic fields? Is there a way of detecting magnetic fields in far off solar systems? They also cover the roughly 6,000 known exoplanets, why most are still too faint and distant to study, and plans for a fleet of CubeSats to hunt for magnetic fields around habitable zone worlds. Finally, Neil reflects on the luxury of asking these questions, and how every answer widens the perimeter of our ignorance.

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