Just one exo-Earth pixel can reveal continents, oceans, and more

Astronomers are on the verge of directly imaging Earth-like planets orbiting Sun-like stars. This breakthrough could allow for coarse mapping of exoplanets, potentially revealing features like clouds, oceans, and continents. As telescope technology improves, scientists may soon be able to detect signs of life on these distant worlds. Nearly 6000 exoplanets have been confirmed since 1990, with direct imaging emerging as a promising detection method alongside transit and radial velocity techniques.