MASCARA planet hunting system at ESO’s La Silla Observatory

The MASCARA (Multi-site All-Sky CAmeRA) station at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile achieved first light in July 2017. This new facility will seek out transiting exoplanets as they pass in front of their bright parent stars and create a catalogue of targets for future exoplanet characterisation observations.

This picture shows the compact housing of MASCARA at its site in the spectacular snow-tipped mountain scenery of Chile.