31 March 2025
The NASA Cosmic Origins (COR), Physics of the Cosmos (PhysCOS), and Exoplanet Exploration (ExEP) Program Offices invite you to the next edition of our virtual seminar series presenting the science and technology of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)!
These talks will take place on 2 April 2025 at 1p – 2p Eastern (10a – 11a Pacific) over WebEx.
Titles and abstracts follow. For WebEx meeting connection information see the event webpage.
Talk 1: “You Were Here: Telling the Story of Cosmic Origins with the Habitable Worlds Observatory” Jason Tumlinson, STScI/JHU
HWO is envisioned as humanity’s life-finding super-Hubble, with the capacity to find and characterize dozens of Earth-like planets, searching for life. HWO will also possess the tools to revolutionize every aspect of frontier general astrophysics, from transient phenomena to the baryon cycle. This talk will highlight the astrophysics themes of HWO science, including key community contributed science cases. I will give my own perspective on how general astrophysics integrates with exoplanet science, concluding that astronomy has a unique role in answering some of humankind’s most profound questions about the Universe and our place in it.
Talk 2: “UV Instrumentation: The Path to HWO” Sarah Tuttle, University of Washington
What will it take to have a UV spectrograph on HWO? What technologies will be needed — and what do we already have? This talk will cover the current state of UV technology, some of our key science drivers, and introduce challenges and next steps to motivate instrument development. This talk is accessible for all career stages and expertise levels — you don't have to be an UV instrumentalist to come hear what we're up to!
Current and past HWO seminar recordings can be found on the HWO events webpage.