Ben Wilcock

Mauve: a UV-Vis satellite dedicated to monitoring stellar activity and variability

Mauve is a small satellite equipped with a 13-cm telescope and a UV-Visible spectrometer (200-700 nm) conceived to measure stellar magnetic activity and variability. The science program will be conducted through a collaborative survey over three years. Each year, thousands of hours will be dedicated to observing a broad field of view (-46.4 to 31.8 degrees ICRS), allowing for extended observations of hundreds of stars and creating significant time-domain opportunities. The mission lifetime for Mauve is three years, with the goal of extending it to five years while covering the same broad field of view throughout the mission.

Designed to support pilot studies and innovative ideas in stellar science, with a dedicated focus on time-domain astronomy. The primary surveys conducted by Mauve will be decided by the members who join but is likely to include long-baseline observations of flare stars, Herbig Ae/Be stars, and exoplanet hosts, as well as contact binary variables. In addition to these main scientific themes, Mauve can enhance and complement existing and future facilities, providing pathfinder and simultaneous observation capabilities.