Overview
The MOTHRA telescope, an all-lens instrument, is currently under construction at the Obstech/El Sauce Observatory in Chile's Rio Hurtado Valley. It was co-created by Yale astronomer Pieter van Dokkum and University of Toronto astronomer Roberto Abraham.
Design and Predecessor
MOTHRA's design builds upon concepts from the earlier Dragonfly Telescope, also developed by van Dokkum and Abraham. The Dragonfly Telescope, located in New Mexico, combines images from multiple lenses to detect faint light from stars and galaxies.
Mission Details
MOTHRA is designed to detect diffuse ionized gas located between galaxies.
The telescope will incorporate an array of 1,140 telephoto lenses, which collectively provide the equivalent light-gathering power of a single 4.7-meter diameter lens.