Astronomers are building a revolutionary telescope in the Chilean Andes, one unlike any other. Dubbed MOTHRA – the Modular Optical Telephoto Hyperspectral Robotic Array – this ambitious project will employ an astonishing 1,140 telephoto lenses to map the faint, diffuse structures connecting galaxies across the universe. The telescope, currently under construction at the Obstech/El Sauce Observatory in the Rio Hurtado Valley, represents a significant leap forward in our ability to understand the cosmic web and the distribution of matter in the cosmos.
MOTHRA isn’t starting from scratch. The project builds upon the success of the Dragonfly Telescope, a groundbreaking instrument located in New Mexico. Dragonfly pioneered a technique of combining images from multiple lenses to detect the incredibly dim light emitted by faint stars and galaxies. Yet, MOTHRA’s mission is distinct: it will focus on detecting diffuse ionized gas residing between galaxies, a crucial component of the cosmic web – the largest known structure in the universe, theorized to connect galaxies to one another. Understanding this web is key to understanding how galaxies form and evolve.
A New Approach to Mapping the Universe
The sheer scale of MOTHRA is remarkable. Its array of 1,140 lenses is equivalent to a single telescope with a 4.7-meter diameter, offering a substantial increase in light-gathering power. This, combined with ultra narrow-band tilted interference filters – a technology refined by the Dragonfly Spectral Line Mapper – will allow MOTHRA to observe the universe in unprecedented detail. The telescope will boast a 6+ square degree field of view, enabling it to survey vast areas of the sky efficiently. According to the Dragonfly Telephoto Array website, MOTHRA will function as an R=800 integral field spectrometer.
The Dragonfly Evolution
The transformation of the Dragonfly Telephoto Array into MOTHRA is underway during 2025-2026. The original 48-lens Dragonfly imaging array will continue to operate at New Mexico Skies, focusing on polarimetric imaging. This allows both telescopes to pursue different, complementary research avenues. MOTHRA, however, represents a significant expansion in both scope and capability. The project is being undertaken by Dragonfly FRO LLC, a Focused Research Organization (FRO) – a new type of non-profit startup designed to tackle ambitious scientific challenges.
FROs, as explained by Dragonfly FRO LLC, operate like deep-tech startups, emphasizing rapid progress and a focused mission. They are intended to fill a gap between large academic projects, loosely coordinated research efforts, and commercially driven R&D, tackling problems that require significant resources and coordination but aren’t necessarily profitable.
Obstech Observatory: A Hub for Astronomical Innovation
The Obstech/El Sauce Observatory, where MOTHRA is being constructed, has been operational since 2015. Sea West Observatories describes it as a fully automated, remote observatory offering affordable access to pier spots for astronomers and commercial satellite tracking companies. Obstech, founded in 2013, is a Chilean company specializing in developing astronomical technologies, as detailed on their About Us page. The observatory’s team includes astronomers and engineers like Prof. Andres Jordan and Dr. Vincent Suc, who bring extensive expertise in exoplanet research and telescope design, respectively.
What’s Next for MOTHRA?
The completion of MOTHRA promises to unlock new insights into the structure and evolution of the universe. By directly imaging the circumgalactic medium – the region surrounding galaxies that contains most of the universe’s baryonic matter – and mapping the cosmic web, astronomers hope to gain a deeper understanding of how galaxies form, how matter is distributed throughout the cosmos, and the nature of dark matter and dark energy. The project represents a bold step forward in observational cosmology, and the scientific community eagerly awaits the first images and data from this extraordinary new telescope.
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