Spectro-Polarimetric High-Contrast Exoplanet Research

The Spectro-Polarimetric High-Contrast Exoplanet Research instrument combines adaptive optics and coronagraphy to capture detailed images of planets outside our solar system.

The installation of SPHERE on Unit Telescope Melipal in 2014 marked a new era in direct imaging capabilities for astronomical research at the Very Large Telescope.

This astronomical instrument represents international scientific cooperation, bringing together research teams from multiple nations to study planetary systems beyond Earth.

Researchers access SPHERE through scheduled observation periods, collecting data about distant planets using specialized imaging techniques and polarimetric measurements.

SPHERE captured the first confirmed photograph of a newborn planet, PDS 70b, revealing direct evidence of planetary formation processes in 2018.

Part of: Very Large Telescope

GPS coordinates: -24.62740,-70.40440

Latest update: April 5, 2025 09:38