MASCARA, Optical telescope at La Silla Observatory and Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, Chile
MASCARA is a network of automated optical telescopes at two observatory sites designed to detect exoplanets by measuring brightness dips as planets pass in front of their host stars. The system uses multiple cameras at each location to scan the sky continuously and monitor thousands of stars at the same time.
The project started as an initiative to search for exoplanets around nearby stars and was expanded in 2019 to observe both hemispheres. Adding observation sites in the northern and southern hemispheres enabled the continuous monitoring of the entire sky circle.
The telescope network represents a collaborative effort among astronomers worldwide to search for planets beyond our solar system using automated instruments. This work connects visitors to the ongoing human quest to understand planetary systems around nearby stars.
The telescopes operate continuously throughout the night without human intervention, collecting data automatically. Visitors should expect the clearest observations during dark, moonless nights when the instruments can detect the faintest star variations.
The system uses five separate cameras at each location that together capture nearly the entire visible sky in a single field of view. This multi-camera arrangement is what makes it possible to find subtle planetary signals that other telescopes might easily miss.
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