Bin Ren

From the calendar

Telescope instrumentation advances in the past decade have enabled direct imaging of faint extrasolar objects, such as Jupiter-mass planets. Despite two dozen exoplanets imaged to date, only one system probes early-stage planetary system evolution, underscoring the need to explore diverse planetary system architectures. High-contrast imaging – central to Astro2020 and the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) – aims to deliver the first image of an Earth-like exoplanet in the next decade. This talk highlights observational efforts to guide exoplanet imaging with current and next-generation instruments, including ground- and space-based observatories. These tools also enable extragalactic studies: Hubble/STIS imaging of quasar 3C 273 reveals fine structures in its host galaxy, awaiting near-infrared follow-up. By uniting planetary and extragalactic science, high contrast imaging will drive transformative discoveries in the upcoming years.