What specific technological element is integrated into telescopes to physically block the overwhelming glare of a host star?
Answer
Coronagraphs.
When attempting to observe exoplanets via remote sensing, the presence of the host star creates an immense glare that completely overwhelms the faint light from the orbiting planet. To overcome this limitation and isolate the planetary signal, specialized optical engineering techniques are employed. Instruments utilize specialized masks, known as coronagraphs, integrated directly into the telescope system. The sole function of the coronagraph is to physically obscure or block out this overwhelming stellar light, thereby enabling the faint light signature of the exoplanet to be detected by the instrument's sensitive receivers.
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