Finding life on exoplanets from telescopic observations is an ultimate goal of exoplanet
science. Life produces gases and other substances, such as pigments, which can have …

This survey is a general overview of modern optical studies of the Moon and their diagnostic
meaning. It includes three united parts: phase photometry, spectrophotometry, and …

The reflectance of the Earth is a fundamental climate parameter that we measured from Big
Bear Solar Observatory between 1998 and 2017 by observing the earthshine using modern …

When Earth-mass extrasolar planets first become detectable, one challenge will be to
determine which of these worlds harbor liquid water, a widely used criterion for habitability …

ABSTRACT NASA is engaged in planning for a Habitable Worlds Observatory (HabWorlds),
a coronagraphic space mission to detect rocky planets in habitable zones and establish their …

We propose that astronomers will be eventually be able to discriminate between extrasolar
Earth-like planets with surface oceans and those without using the shape of phase light …

Glint, the specular reflection of sunlight off Earth's oceans, may reveal the presence of
oceans on an extrasolar planet. As an Earth-like planet nears crescent phases, the size of …

Over the next 2 decades, NASA and ESA are planning a series of space-based
observatories to detect and characterize extrasolar planets. This first generation of …

We present the first redundant detection of sporadic impact flashes on the Moon from a
systematic survey performed between 2001 and 2004. Our wide-field lunar monitoring …

ABSTRACT The Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) observed the
distant Earth on three occasions in 2009. These data span a range of phase angles …