MRI: Acquisition of a 3-Station Global Network of Automated Telescopes to Detect a Large Number of Nearby Transiting Extra-solar Planets

这项研究包括在南半球建立一个纵向间隔的全自动中宽视场望远镜全球网络，主要目的是探测9.5 - 13.5等的系外行星凌日恒星。该项目建立在非常成功的北半球版本系统的基础上，并以其为模型。据统计，这个系统每年大约会发现25颗系外行星。将在纳米比亚、智利和澳大利亚建立三个望远镜站点，以便对光线曲线进行全天候监测。这项工作将与位于纳米比亚的马克斯·普朗克天文研究所合作；位于澳大利亚赛丁泉的澳大利亚国立大学；以及智利的拉斯坎帕纳斯天文台。发现太阳系以外的行星是天文学家和公众都非常感兴趣的话题。这项工作产生的数据产品也将形成一个广泛的恒星变异性数据目录。

This research involves the acquisition of a longitudinally-spaced global network of fully automated medium-wide field telescopes in the southern hemisphere, with the primary purpose of detecting exoplanets transiting stars in the magnitude range 9.5 - 13.5. This project builds on, and is modeled after, the very successful northern hemisphere version of the system. Statistically, approximately 25 exoplanets per year are expected to be discovered with this system. Three telescope sites would be built, in Namibia, Chile, and Australia, allowing round-the-clock monitoring of light curves. The work will involve partnerships with the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy at the Namibian site; the Australian National University at the Siding Spring, Australia, site; and with Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. The discovery of planets beyond our own solar system is a topic of intense interest to both astronomers and the general public. The data products resulting from this work will also form an extensive catalog of stellar variability data.