Will the E-ELT be able to take direct images of “mature” exoplanets around stars like the Sun?
Discovering and characterising planets and protoplanetary systems around other stars will be one of the most important and exciting aspects of the E-ELT science programme. This will include not only the discovery of planets down to Earth-like masses using the radial velocity technique, but also the direct imaging of larger planets and possibly even the characterisation of their atmospheres. The E-ELT will be capable of detecting reflected light from mature giant planets (Jupiter to Neptune-like) and may be able to probe their atmospheres through low resolution spectroscopy. It will also enable us to directly study planetary systems during their formation from protoplanetary discs around many nearby very young stars. Furthermore, observations of giant planets in young stellar clusters and star-forming regions will trace their evolution as a function of age. Thus, the E-ELT will answer fundamental questions regarding planet formation and evolution, the planetary environment of other star
