A black background dotted with stars is bisected from the lower-left corner to the upper-right corner by a slightly twisted strand of red gas and dust.

HWO Science

 This observatory would simultaneously provide powerful capabilities for transformational astrophysics discoveries, from our cosmic backyard of the solar system to the distant universe and everything in between.

Worlds and Suns in Context

The Habitable Worlds Observatory would be the key tool to discover potentially habitable worlds in nearby planetary systems and search them for signs of life. Studying the connections between stars and their orbiting worlds will also help us better understand how those relationships affect a planet’s ecosystem.

A diagram of an exo-solar system or a solar system outside our own. The image shows a star in the system's center; it is round and dark with a halo of blue and orange light around it. Four planets are orbiting around it, two very close to the star and two farther away. There is an arrow pointing to one of the planets on the inner orbits, with a label that says "Earth 2.0."
Simulated image of a Solar System analog 30 light-years away, as captured by a large Infrared/Optical/Ultraviolet space telescope.
STScI, NASA GSFC

Cosmic Ecosystems

The Habitable Worlds Observatory would revolutionize our understanding of the origins and evolution of galaxies, from the cosmic webs of gas that feed them to the formation of stars within them, using new observational capabilities beyond those of Hubble and Webb.

Three images of the Phantom Galaxy, M74, showcase the power of space observatories working together in multiple wavelengths. On the left, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s view of the galaxy ranges from the older, redder stars towards the centre, to younger and bluer stars in its spiral arms, to the most active stellar formation in the red bubbles of H II regions. On the right, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s image is strikingly different, instead highlighting the masses of gas and dust within the galaxy’s arms, and the dense cluster of stars at its core.
Three images of the Phantom Galaxy, M74, showcase the power of space observatories working together in multiple wavelengths. On the left, the Hubble Space Telescope’s view of the galaxy ranges from the older, redder stars towards the centre, to younger and bluer stars in its spiral arms, to the most active stellar formation in the red bubbles of H II regions. On the right, the James Webb Space Telescope’s image is strikingly different, instead highlighting the masses of gas and dust within the galaxy’s arms, and the dense cluster of stars at its core. The combined image in the center merges these two for a truly unique look at this “grand design” spiral galaxy. Scientists combine data from telescopes operating across the electromagnetic spectrum to truly understand astronomical objects. In this way, data from Hubble and Webb compliment each other to provide a comprehensive view of the spectacular M74 galaxy. Links Image A Image B
ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, J. Lee and
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