The 30th and final mount for the MOTHRA telescope array has arrived at El Sauce Observatory in Chile, marking an important construction milestone for the project.

MOTHRA's array is being assembled across two buildings, each designed to house 15 telescope mounts. Each mount will support 38 telephoto lenses, along with cameras and other imaging equipment, bringing the completed array to a total of 1,140 lenses.

Unlike traditional large reflecting telescopes that rely on a primary mirror, MOTHRA combines images captured by many individual lenses. Using specialized filters, the array is designed to detect extremely faint emission from gas surrounding and between galaxies, helping researchers investigate structures that are difficult to observe with conventional telescopes.

While the final mount has arrived, assembly work continues on mounts 25 through 30. Installation and integration of the remaining lenses, cameras, and supporting equipment are among the next steps as the team works toward completing construction in 2027.