Direct Imaging: Capturing Light from Alien Worlds

Direct imaging takes actual pictures of exoplanets by separating their faint light from their star’s glare.
It is one of the most challenging exoplanet detection methods.
Special instruments like coronagraphs and starshades block out starlight.
Direct imaging works best for young, massive planets that glow in infrared.
The first directly imaged exoplanets were found in the early 2000s.
Images reveal a planet’s orbit, color, and sometimes atmosphere.
Telescopes like the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and Keck have directly imaged exoplanets.
Space missions like JWST aim to push direct imaging to smaller, Earth-like worlds.
This method could eventually allow us to see continents, clouds, or even signs of life.
Direct imaging turns exoplanets from abstract data points into real, visible worlds.