Western  University
Surveying the Best Hosts for Detecting  Earth-like Extrasolar Planets — PI: Dr. Stanimir  Metchev. The  discovery of Earth-like planets and their atmospheric characterization are two  of the priority goals in space astronomy. The discovery of planets  around brown dwarfs - giant planets' more  massive kin - has the potential to find the best habitable zone  planets for characterization. It would also constitute a major discovery  towards the understanding of planet formation around low-mass stars. This project aims to advance the detection and  characterization of extrasolar planets and their atmospheres by observing and  studying the host stars and brown dwarfs that are most amenable to discovering  potentially habitable planets. The  project will lay the groundwork for the observations made by the James Webb  Space Telescope, to which Canada has contributed, by furnishing some of the  best targets for the study of exoplanetary habitability.