CHEOPS takes first image
A defocusing technique analyses a star field’s overall light
ESA’s exoplanet investigating satellite, CHEOPS, has taken its first image in orbit after opening its cover on 29 January 2020. This initial photograph was intended as a test to ensure that the telescope was working correctly.
“When the first images of a field of stars appeared on the screen, it was
immediately clear to everyone that we did indeed have a
working telescope,” says Willy Benz from
the University of
Bern and principal investigator of CHEOPS.
The image appears blurred
as CHEOPS is deliberately
defocused. As the telescope is studying the overall light from
distant star systems, it does
not need to have a sharp
focus, and spreading the light
over many pixels actually helps to improve precision.
“These initial promising analyses are a great relief and
also a boost for the team,” says Benz.
https://cheops.unibe.ch