Project Solaris, a Global Network of Autonomous Observatories: Design, Commissioning, and First Science Results

TL;DR

Project Solaris is a globally distributed network of autonomous observatories designed for detecting and studying circumbinary exoplanets and eclipsing binary stars, with initial results demonstrating its operational capabilities and scientific potential.

Contribution

The paper details the design, implementation, and first scientific results of a novel autonomous global observatory network for exoplanet and binary star research.

Findings

Successful deployment of four autonomous observatories in the Southern Hemisphere.

First photometric data and models for several exoplanets and binary systems.

Demonstration of the system's capability to perform high-precision photometry and initial scientific analysis.

Abstract

We present the design and commissioning of Project Solaris, a global network of autonomous observatories. Solaris is a Polish scientific undertaking aimed at the detection and characterization of circumbinary exoplanets and eclipsing binary stars. To accomplish this, a network of four fully autonomous observatories has been deployed in the Southern Hemisphere: Solaris-1 and Solaris-2 in the South African Astronomical Observatory in South Africa; Solaris-3 in Siding Spring Observatory in Australia; and Solaris-4 in Complejo Astronomico El Leoncito in Argentina. The four stations are nearly identical and are equipped with 0.5-m Ritchey-Cr\'etien (f/15) or Cassegrain (f/9, Solaris-3) optics and high-grade 2 K x 2 K CCD cameras with Johnson and Sloan filter sets. We present the design and implementation of low-level security; data logging and notification systems; weather monitoring components; all-sky vision system, surveillance system; and distributed temperature and humidity sensors. We describe dedicated grounding and lighting protection system design and robust fiber data transfer interfaces in electrically demanding conditions. We discuss the outcomes of our design, as well as the resulting software engineering requirements. We describe our system's engineering approach to achieve the required level of autonomy, the architecture of the custom high-level industry-grade software that has been designed and implemented specifically for the use of the network. We present the actual status of the project and first photometric results; these include data and models of already studied systems for benchmarking purposes (Wasp-4b, Wasp-64b, and Wasp-98b transits, PG 1663-018, an eclipsing binary with a pulsator) as well J024946-3825.6, an interesting low-mass binary system for which a complete model is provided for the first time.