Topic: habitability

Support field investigations relevant to the origin of life, evolution and distribution. Projects may investigate terrestrial environments that illuminate early Earth or the habitability of other worlds.

The workshop examines how planetary masses constrain formation, dynamical history, internal structure, atmospheres and habitability. Lectures compare astrometry and precision radial velocities, their biases and complementary strengths, and use Gaia DR4 alongside long-running radial-velocity surveys to demonstrate joint orbital fitting. Hosted by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, the workshop offers in-person and remote attendance without a registration fee. It is aimed at advanced undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, while welcoming all career stages.

Lisa Dang explores how observations reveal the three-dimensional atmospheres and climates of close-in exoplanets. Kepler and TESS have established a diverse population that tests theories of planetary formation and evolution. Tidally locked short-period planets offer strong atmospheric signals but their large day–night contrasts make one-dimensional interpretations inadequate. Measurements from JWST and precise ground-based observatories can expose these spatial differences and determine whether an atmosphere is present. The talk reviews discoveries about intensely irradiated planets and expla