{
  "id": 3135068,
  "title": "NASA starshade would enable astronomers to directly image rocky exoworlds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/nasa-starshade-would-enable-astronomers-to-directly-image-rocky-3135068",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-24T23:20:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nasa-starshade-enable-astronomers-image.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A NASA-led team is exploring a novel approach to directly image Earth-like exoplanets by employing a hybrid observatory consisting of an orbital starshade and advanced ground-based telescopes. The starshade, positioned 175,000 km away in Earth orbit, would block the parent star's light, enabling ground-based telescopes to capture reflected light from nearby planetary systems. Dubbed the Hybrid Observatory for Earth-like Exoplanets (HOEE), the project aims to achieve this by 2030 and has secured Phase B NIAC funding, pending approval by 2027.\n\nCurrent space-based instruments, such as NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and the planned Roman Space Telescope, are unable to directly observe Earth-like exoplanets. The proposed starshade, featuring 48 petals each 24.5 meters long and a 50-meter-diameter central disk, would create an artificial eclipse to occult the star's light, allowing ground-based observers to detect the faint reflected light from the exoplanet.\n\nHOEE's high precision and sharp images would enable astronomers to observe entire exoplanetary systems, separate planet images from others, and detect potential signs of life. By targeting active stars with frequent flares, the mission could identify exoplanets with atmospheres suitable for nitrogen and oxygen, potentially indicating the presence of life.\n\nThe starshade's development, led by NASA, is progressing from a previously deemed impossible concept to a buildable reality. With a launch mass of around 1,500 kg, the starshade aims to efficiently collapse into a standard launch vehicle's payload. Through its innovative approach, HOEE promises to revolutionize the search for exoplanets and the study of potentially habitable worlds.",
  "summary": "A NASA-led team hopes to take a shortcut to direct imaging of extrasolar Earth-like planets. The idea is to use what they call a hybrid telescope composed of an orbital starshade coupled with the next-generation extremely large ground-based optical telescopes.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Universe Today",
        "title": "NASA Starshade Would Enable Astronomers To Directly Image Rocky Exoworlds",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/nasa-starshade-would-enable-astronomers-to-directly-image-rocky",
        "published": "2026-08-24T07:16:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}