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Abstract EANA2025-110


Astrophysical challenges for the detection of other Earths

Nuno C. Santos (1,2)
(1) Instituto de Astrof'isica e Ci^encias do Espac{c}o, Universidade do Porto, CAUP, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto, Portugal (2) Departamento de F'isica e Astronomia, Faculdade de Ci^encias, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal


The detection and characterisation of other Earths, planets with the physical conditions to hold liquid water and thus potential life-sustaining environments, is a bold objective of present day astrophysics. This goal continuously pushes the development of new ground- and space-based instrumentation. However, the quest for other Earths is severely challenged by astrophysical "noise" from the host stars, whose signatures distort the spectra that are used to detect and characterise them.

In this talk I will review some of the main successes in the quest for other Earths. I will then focus on the main sources of astrophysical noise, the challenges these impose, as well as the methods that are being developed to tackle this problem. Prospects for the detection of other Earths will be discussed.