![]() The five cameras that form the MASCARA system installed at La Silla Observatory | |
Alternative names | Multi-site All-Sky CAmeRA |
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Part of | La Silla Observatory Roque de los Muchachos Observatory ![]() |
Location(s) | Spain, Chile |
Coordinates | 29°15′25″S70°44′16″W / 29.257078°S 70.737822°W |
Telescope style | optical telescope ![]() |
Website | mascara1 |
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MASCARA (Multi-site All-Sky CAmeRA) is an exoplanet experiment by Leiden University. It has two stations, one in each hemisphere, each of which use cameras to make short exposure photographs of most of the visible sky [1] to observe stars to a magnitude of 8.4. [2] The Northern Hemisphere station at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma, started observations in February 2015. The Southern Hemisphere station at La Silla Observatory, Chile, saw first light in July 2017. [3]
On 17 July 2017, the discovery of MASCARA-1b, a confirmed superjovian exoplanet with a mass 3.7MJ, was reported by the survey team. MASCARA-1b is a hot Jupiter transiting its parent A-type star; its orbit is misaligned with the star's rotation. [4] The planet was found unusually reflective for hot Jupiter with the measured geometric albedo of 0.171+0.066
−0.068 and dayside temperature of 3062+66
−68 K. [5] Attempts to spectroscopically characterize its composition were failing as in 2022 due to relatively high planetary surface gravity resulting in compact atmosphere. [6]
A second planet, MASCARA-2b, also known as KELT-20b, was also announced in 2017. It is a hot Jupiter orbiting an A-type star. [7] The carbon monoxide, steam [8] [9] and neutral iron [10] detection in the atmosphere of MASCARA-2b was announced in 2022.
A planet MASCARA-4b (also known as HD 85628 Ab) discovery was announced in 2019. It is a hot Jupiter on retrograde and slightly eccentric orbit. [11] The planet is unusually reflective for a hot Jupiter. [12] Hydrogen, sodium, magnesium, calcium and iron emission from planetary atmosphere was detected. [13]
In 2021, a planet MASCARA-5b (more commonly known as TOI-1431 b), is an Ultra-hot Jupiter. Its dayside temperature is 2,700 K (2,427 °C), making it hotter than 40% of stars in our galaxy. [14] The nightside temperature is 2,600 K (2,300 °C). [15]
Star | Constellation | Right ascension | Declination | App. mag. | Distance (ly) | Spectral type | Planet | Mass (MJ) | Radius (RJ) | Orbital period (d) | Semimajor axis (AU) | Orbital eccentricity | Inclination (°) | Discovery year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MASCARA-1 | Equuleus | 21h 10m 12.4s | +10° 44′ 20″ | 8.3 | 188.7 | A8 | b | 3.7 | 1.5 | 2.14878 | 0.043 | 0 | 87 | 2017 |
MASCARA-2 | Cygnus | 19h 38m 38.7s | +31° 13′ 09″ | 7.58 | 137 | A2V | b | 3.518 | 1.83 | 3.4741085 | 0.0542 | 0.0 | 86.2 | 2017 |
MASCARA-3 | Ursa Major | 10h 47m 38s | +71° 39′ 21″ | 8.4 | 96.79 | F5 | b | 5.18 | 1.272 | 5.5514926 | 0.06971 | 89.16 | 83.11 | 2019 |
MASCARA-4 | Carina | 09h 50m 19.2s | −66° 06′ 50″ | 86.7 | 171.54 | A3V | b | 3.1 | 1.53 | 2.82406 | 0.047 | 0 | 88.81 | 2019 |
MASCARA-5 | Cepheus | 21h 04m 49s | +55° 35′ 17″ | 8 | 149.6 | AmC | b | 3.14 | 1.508 | 2.65022 | 0.047 | 0.01 | 80.4 | 2021 |
WASP-8b is an exoplanet orbiting the star WASP-8A in the constellation of Sculptor. The star is similar to the Sun and forms a binary star with a red dwarf star (WASP-8B) of half the Sun's mass that orbits WASP-8A 4.5 arcseconds away. The system is 294 light-years away and is therefore located closer to Earth than many other star systems that are known to feature planets similar to WASP-8b. The planet and its parent star were discovered in the SuperWASP batch -6b to -15b. On 1 April 2008, Dr. Don Pollacco of Queen's University Belfast announced them at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting.
WASP-33b is an extrasolar planet orbiting the star HD 15082. It was the first planet discovered to orbit a Delta Scuti variable star. With a semimajor axis of 0.026 AU and a mass likely greater than Jupiter's, it belongs to the hot Jupiter class of planets.
WASP-43b, formally named Astrolábos, is a transiting planet in orbit around the young, active, and low-mass star WASP-43 in the constellation Sextans. The planet is a hot Jupiter with a mass twice that of Jupiter, but with a roughly equal radius. WASP-43b was flagged as a candidate by the SuperWASP program, before they conducted follow-ups using instruments at La Silla Observatory in Chile, which confirmed its existence and provided orbital and physical characteristics. The planet's discovery was published on April 14, 2011.
KELT-9b is an exoplanet and ultra-hot Jupiter that orbits the late B-type/early A-type star KELT-9, located about 670 light-years from Earth. Detected using the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope, the discovery of KELT-9b was announced in 2016. As of June 2017, it is the hottest known exoplanet.
KELT-21b is an extrasolar planet discovered in 2017. It is a hot Jupiter with radius of about 1.586 MJ.
WASP-189 b is an extrasolar planet that has an orbital period around its host star, WASP-189, of less than three earth days, and is about 322 light-years away in the Libra constellation. It was first discovered in 2018, and was observed in 2020 by CHEOPS.
KELT-1 is a F-type main-sequence star. Its surface temperature is 6518±50 K. It is similar to the Sun in its concentration of heavy elements, with a metallicity Fe/H index of 0.008±0.073, but is much younger at an age of 1.75±0.25 billion years. The star is rotating very rapidly.
KELT-6b is an exoplanet orbiting the F-type subgiant KELT-6 approximately 791 light years away in the northern constellation Coma Berenices. It was discovered in 2013 using the transit method, and was announced in 2014.
KELT-20b, also known as MASCARA-2b, was an exoplanet announced in 2017. It is an Ultra-hot Jupiter orbiting an A-type star. The carbon monoxide, steam and neutral iron detection in the atmosphere of KELT-20b was announced in 2022.
HD 85628 Ab, also designed MASCARA-4b, is an exoplanet located approximately 559.47±3.05 light years from Earth. This planet was discovered in 2019 using the transit method.
KELT-20, also known as MASCARA-2, is an A2 main sequence star in the constellation of Cygnus, about 447 light years away.
HD 85628 (MASCARA-4) is a binary star system in the constellation of Carina. The host star, HD 85628 A, is an A-type main-sequence star, the primary star of the system, with a hot Jupiter in orbit around it. The secondary star is HD 85628 B, a K-type main-sequence star. Little is known about it.
KELT-24 is a single star in the constellation Ursa Major at a distance of approximately 316 light-years from Sun. The apparent magnitude of the star is +8.33m. The star's age is estimated to be about 1.6 billion years. As an F-type main-sequence star, it is similar to the Sun, but slightly hotter and more luminous.
HD 201585 is a star located in the equatorial constellation Equuleus. It has an apparent magnitude of 8.23, making it readily visible in small telescopes but not to the naked eye. Gaia DR3 parallax measurements imply a distance of 594 light-years and it is currently receding with a heliocentric radial velocity of 14 km/s. At its current distance, HD 201585's brightness is diminished by three-tenths of a magnitudes due to interstellar extinction and it has an absolute magnitude of +1.81. HD 201585 is the star's Henry Draper Catalogue designation. It is also designated as MASCARA-1 meaning that it is the first star observed by the MASCARA exoplanet search program.