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image of Mars with an ocean at the north pole

Artist's illustration of the Roman Telescope

ABOUT US

Sellers Exoplanet Environments Collaboration

A multidisciplinary effort at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to study the broad diversity of exoplanet environments

The Sellers Exoplanet Environments Collaboration (SEEC) brings together multi-disciplinary researchers from the Planetary, Earth, Astrophysics, and Heliophysics science divisions at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to study exoplanet atmospheres and climates. Using a wide range of scientific and technical resources, SEEC scientists inform current NASA exoplanet observations and prepare for future missions.

Research

Missions

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Key Questions Guiding SEEC Research

Are we alone in the universe?

By studying ways that biospheres interact with planetary environments, SEEC researchers are pioneering methods to detect life on other worlds.

How do planets work?

A vast multitude of physical, chemical, and geological processes combine to produce the characteristics of a specific exoplanet’s atmosphere and surface that will be visible to future telescopes.

What makes a planet habitable?

Planetary habitability results from a complex network of interactions between the planet, its planetary system, and host star.

How do we find habitable planets?

In our quest to find life outside of our solar system, we look for planets that resemble Earth, the only planet that we know of that is habitable.

What can Earth tell us about exoplanets?

Earth is our only example of a planet that is habitable and inhabited, and as such represents the archetypical habitable environment for remote sensing and mission development studies.

Events

SEEC supports on-going seminar series as well as special retreats, symposiums, and workshops. Learn more by clicking on the boxes to the right.

SEEC 2024 Symposium

Recent exoplanet surveys from the ground have discovered myriad nearby systems that are non-transiting. Currently, the number of known non-transiting systems dominate by a factor of two compared to transiting ones within 20 pc, and by a factor of 9x within 10 pc. SEEC will host a interdisciplinary symposium which will focus on exploring pathways to characterize non-transiting planets - in particular, the regions of planetary parameter space that are not well represented in transiting planet characterization studies. Check this page for more information.

Technosignature seminar series

Observing the atmospheres of exoplanets can reveal a lot about their composition and history. These observations may even contain signs of current or past habitability. The NASA GSFC technosignature seminar series explores what sort of evidence advanced civilizations may leave behind that could be detected by future missions. Click here to watch past talks and to find the schedule of future meetings.

GSFC Extrasolar Planets Seminar Series

The GSFC Exoplanet seminar series is hosted virtually every other Thursday featuring GSFC and external exoplanet scientists. Topics range from observations and atmospheric modeling to planetary interiors and orbital dynamics. Click here to watch past talks or learn about future speakers.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Goddard Space Flight Center

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Contact

NASA Official : Ravi Kopparapu
Media Contact : Claire Saravia
Web Curator : Lori J. Tyahla
Web Developer : Evan McGarry