Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics

The Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) telescope dome at the top of Mount John

Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) is a collaborative project between researchers in New Zealand and Japan, led by Professor Yasushi Muraki of Nagoya University. They use microlensing to observe dark matter, extra-solar planets, and stellar atmospheres from the Southern Hemisphere. The group concentrates especially on the detection and observation of gravitational microlensing events of high magnification, of order 100 or more, as these provide the greatest sensitivity to extrasolar planets. They work with other groups in Australia, the United States and elsewhere. Observations are conducted at New Zealand's Mt. John University Observatory using a 1.8 m (70.9 in) reflector telescope built for the project.

MOA telescope mirror images

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  Underside of main mirror

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  Camera assembly

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  Main mirror, side view

Planets discovered

The following planets have been announced by this survey, some in conjunction with other surveys.

See also

• Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment or OGLE, a similar microlensing survey
• List of extrasolar planets

External links

• MOA website
• MicroFUN - Microlensing Follow-Up Network

Dark matter
Forms of dark matter	Baryonic dark matter Cold dark matter Hot dark matter Light dark matter Mixed dark matter Warm dark matter Self-interacting dark matter Scalar field dark matter
Hypothetical particles	Axino Axion Dark photon Holeum LSP Minicharged particle Neutralino Sterile neutrino SIMP WIMP
Theories and objects	Cuspy halo problem Dark fluid Dark galaxy Dark matter halo Dark radiation Dark star Dwarf galaxy problem ELKO field Halo mass function Massive compact halo object Mirror matter Navarro–Frenk–White profile Scalar field dark matter
Search experiments	Direct detection ANAIS ArDM ADMX CDEX CDMS CoGeNT COUPP CRESST DAMA/LIBRA DAMA/NaI DarkSide DEAP DMTPC DRIFT EDELWEISS EURECA KIMS LUX LZ PandaX PICO SIMPLE UKDMC WARP XENON ZEPLIN-III Indirect detection AMS-02 ATIC CALET CAST DAMPE IceCube MOA OGLE PAMELA Other projects MultiDark PVLAS SNOLAB
Potential dark galaxies	HE0450-2958 HVC 127-41-330 Smith's Cloud VIRGOHI21
Related	Antimatter Dark energy Exotic matter Galaxy formation and evolution Illustris project

Exoplanet search projects
Ground-based	AAPS APF CORALIE EAPSNet ELODIE EPICS ESPRESSO FINDS Exo-Earths Geneva HARPS HARPS-N GPI HATNet HEK HiCIAO HIRES KELT LCES Magellan MARVELS MEarth MicroFUN MINERVA MOA N2K NGTS NESSI OGLE OPSP PlanetPol PlanetQuest Project 1640 PARAS SEEDS SETI SOPHIE SPECULOOS SPHERE SuperWASP Systemic TrES XO Telescope ZIMPOL/CHEOPS
Space missions	Past and current MOST (2003–present) SWEEPS (2006) COROT (2006–13) EPOXI (2008–13) Kepler (2009–present) KOI exoplanets Gaia (2013–present) Planned CHEOPS (2017) TESS (2017) James Webb Space Telescope (2018) PLATO (2024) WFIRST (mid-2020s) Proposed ATLAST EXCEDE FINESSE New Worlds Mission PEGASE Cancelled Darwin EChO Eddington Space Interferometry Mission Terrestrial Planet Finder
Detection methods Discoveries of exoplanets Lists of exoplanets