Putting gravity to work: Imaging of exoplanets with the solar gravitational lens

The remarkable optical properties of the solar gravitational lens (SGL) include major brightness amplification (∼1011 on the optical axis, at a wavelength of 1μm) and extreme angular resolution (∼10-10arcsec). A deep space mission equipped with a modest telescope and coronagraph, traveling to the focal area of the SGL that begins at ∼548 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, offers an opportunity for direct megapixel imaging and high-resolution spectroscopy of a habitable Earth-like exoplanet. We present a basic overview of this intriguing opportunity.