The New NASA Mission to Find Life in the Universe, with Evgenya Shkolnik
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Are there habitable worlds that look nothing like Earth? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen discuss NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory and its eventual search for life beyond our solar system with astrophysicist Evgenya Shkolnik.
Learn about SPARCS, a backpack-sized, 9-centimeter CubeSat telescope that studies the ultraviolet light of stars known to host planets. How did we go from zero known exoplanets to data showing the average star has at least one? What does “habitable” really mean?
They break down the Goldilocks zone, why water must actually be present, and why habitable doesn’t mean inhabited. Is it bias to look for Earth-like life? They discuss biosignatures, extremophiles, and why we start with what we know.
We explore the Habitable Worlds Observatory. You’ll learn about what instruments are planned and how those tools will help us locate habitable worlds and more. We discuss how UV light can erode atmospheres or fake biosignatures, why red dwarfs offer the most habitable real estate but are turbulent. Do planets need magnetic fields? Is there a way of detecting magnetic fields in far off solar systems?
They also cover the roughly 6,000 known exoplanets, why most are still too faint and distant to study, and plans for a fleet of CubeSats to hunt for magnetic fields around habitable zone worlds. Finally, Neil reflects on the luxury of asking these questions, and how every answer widens the perimeter of our ignorance.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Evgenya Shkolnik
03:00 - SPARCS: UV Space Telescope
06:13 - Defining Habitable
08:18 - Bias Towards Earth Life
13:40 - The Habitable Worlds Observatory
24:23 - Low Mass Stars & The Distribution of Habitable Planets
30:20 - Do We Need a Magnetosphere?
33:49 - Searching for Exoplanets
39:22 - Dual Purposes
42:28 - HWO Objectives
46:14 - A Cosmic Perspective
Thanks to our Patrons Keith Romig, Lewis Stamper, Michael ` Albino, Jeff Carnes, Cory Slater, Bev, katwurld, Piper Miles-Coccaro, Jerry Wess, Roy Sproule, Ethan Dutton, Adrian Ashley Litterick, John Kotarac, Craig Ranger, April Jones, SugarDogZM3AK, Rick Bruijs, james subudhi, Justin Nelson, Tony Millionaire, and PhloppyClock for supporting us this week.
Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e
Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970
Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio
FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk
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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
© 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved.
STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions.
This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced.
For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com
#StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson
Are there habitable worlds that look nothing like Earth? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen discuss NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory and its eventual search for life beyond our solar system with astrophysicist Evgenya Shkolnik.
Learn about SPARCS, a backpack-sized, 9-centimeter CubeSat telescope that studies the ultraviolet light of stars known to host planets. How did we go from zero known exoplanets to data showing the average star has at least one? What does “habitable” really mean?
They break down the Goldilocks zone, why water must actually be present, and why habitable doesn’t mean inhabited. Is it bias to look for Earth-like life? They discuss biosignatures, extremophiles, and why we start with what we know.
We explore the Habitable Worlds Observatory. You’ll learn about what instruments are planned and how those tools will help us locate habitable worlds and more. We discuss how UV light can erode atmospheres or fake biosignatures, why red dwarfs offer the most habitable real estate but are turbulent. Do planets need magnetic fields? Is there a way of detecting magnetic fields in far off solar systems?
They also cover the roughly 6,000 known exoplanets, why most are still too faint and distant to study, and plans for a fleet of CubeSats to hunt for magnetic fields around habitable zone worlds. Finally, Neil reflects on the luxury of asking these questions, and how every answer widens the perimeter of our ignorance.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Evgenya Shkolnik
03:00 - SPARCS: UV Space Telescope
06:13 - Defining Habitable
08:18 - Bias Towards Earth Life
13:40 - The Habitable Worlds Observatory
24:23 - Low Mass Stars & The Distribution of Habitable Planets
30:20 - Do We Need a Magnetosphere?
33:49 - Searching for Exoplanets
39:22 - Dual Purposes
42:28 - HWO Objectives
46:14 - A Cosmic Perspective
Thanks to our Patrons Keith Romig, Lewis Stamper, Michael ` Albino, Jeff Carnes, Cory Slater, Bev, katwurld, Piper Miles-Coccaro, Jerry Wess, Roy Sproule, Ethan Dutton, Adrian Ashley Litterick, John Kotarac, Craig Ranger, April Jones, SugarDogZM3AK, Rick Bruijs, james subudhi, Justin Nelson, Tony Millionaire, and PhloppyClock for supporting us this week.
Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cCD19e
Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970
Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio
FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk
About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
© 2026 Curved Light Productions. All rights reserved.
STARTALK is a registered U.S. trademark of Curved Light Productions. Curved Light Productions also maintains rights in the A/legs design logo, STARTALK, STARTALK+, STARTALK PLUS in the U.S. and various countries throughout the world, and these and all other associated logos, marks, and trade dress are the property of Curved Light Productions.
This video, including all audio, video, graphics, and accompanying materials, is the exclusive property of Curved Light Productions. No part of this video may be reproduced, distributed, publicly performed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works, in whole or in part, in any medium now known or hereafter devised, without the prior express written permission of Curved Light Productions. Unauthorized use, including reuploading, re-editing, or incorporation into third-party content, is a violation of United States and international copyright law and will be enforced.
For licensing and permissions inquiries: licensing@startalkmedia.com
#StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson
