Spectro-Polarimetric High-Contrast Exoplanet Research, Advanced astronomical instrument at Very Large Telescope, Chile
SPHERE is an advanced instrument at the Very Large Telescope in Chile designed to directly image planets orbiting distant stars. The tool uses adaptive optics to correct atmospheric distortion and a coronagraph to block out starlight, making faint planets visible in photographs.
SPHERE was installed in 2014 on Unit Telescope Melipal, transforming how astronomers could observe distant planets directly. This installation opened new research possibilities for studying how planets form and evolve around other stars.
This astronomical instrument represents international scientific cooperation, bringing together research teams from multiple nations to study planetary systems beyond Earth.
This instrument is located on one of the world's largest telescopes and is available only to researchers through scheduled observation sessions. Visitors can tour the observatory facility and learn about recent advances in studying planets around other stars.
The instrument captured in 2018 the first confirmed photograph of a newborn planet, PDS 70b, providing direct evidence of planetary birth. This breakthrough showed for the first time what a planet looks like while it is still forming around its star.
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