HARPS real-time display

The HARPS instrument on the ESO 3.6-metre telescope at its La Silla observatory is a highly specialised device, a very precise spectrograph that has been designed specifically to hunt for planets around distant stars. This image shows one of the computer monitors that displays information about the HARPS instrument so that the astronomers in the control room can ensure all is well. Astronomers working on the Pale Red Dot campaign are using HARPS to search for evidence of a planet in orbit around the nearest star to Earth, Proxima Centauri. This is the first time that astronomers engaged in such a research project have shared details of their progress with the public during the project itself.

Pale Red Dot is an international search for an Earth-like exoplanet around the closest star to us, Proxima Centauri. It will use HARPS, attached to the ESO 3.6-metre telescope at La Silla Observatory, as well as the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) and the Burst Optical Observer and Transient Exploring System (BOOTES). The public will see how teams of astronomers with different specialities work together to collect, analyse and interpret data, which may or may not be able to confirm the presence of an Earth-like planet orbiting our nearest neighbour. The outreach campaign consists of blog posts and social media updates on the Pale Red Dot Twitter account and using the hashtag #PaleRedDot. For more information visit the Pale Red Dot website: http://www.palereddot.org