830-Imaging Alien Worlds

Through out history humans have dreamed about living creatures on planets orbiting distant stars. As technology has improved and our robotic missions have begun exploring our solar system in some detail the aspiration to learn about alien solar systems continues to build. At the focal point of the solar gravitational lens it is theoretically possible to image a planet orbiting a distant star to show its details as small as 20 miles in diameter. Such images could reveal oceans, land masses, clouds, and provide evidence that life is possible on an alien world.