The Chandra X-ray Observatory of NASA and ESA’s XMM-Newton have observed stars that are close enough to be prime targets in the search for direct imaging of planets using future telescopes. Researchers examined stars close enough to Earth so that upcoming telescopes, operating in the next decade or two, including the Habitable Worlds Observatory in space and Extremely Large Telescopes on the ground, could image planets in the so-called habitable zones of stars. This term defines orbits where planets could have liquid water on their surfaces. Astronomers are using these X-ray data to determine how habitable exoplanets might be, based … Continue reading NASA’s Chandra and XMM-Newton Data Suggest 57 Nearby Stars Could Harbor Earth-like Planets in Habitable Zones