Cutting-edge Astronomy Camera Set to Unveil Cosmic Secrets
Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has unveiled the completion of the LSST Camera, boasting a remarkable 3,200-megapixel capacity. It will be mounted on a telescope in Chile to aid in exploring the universe’s major mysteries.
The LSST camera module development took over two decades, receiving construction approval from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) in 2015.
Assembly of LSST Camera Sensor Array
Technicians at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory assembled the module’s extensive sensor array, featuring 189 separate 16-megapixel sensors, by early 2020.
The first composite test images were captured by September of the same year.
Moreover, SLAC engineers and collaborators have finalized the assembly of all elements, comprising the frame, lens, and sensor. The custom-designed CCD sensors in the 3.2-gigapixel array now total 201, with each pixel spanning approximately 10 microns.
A 3-foot-wide lens seals the focal plane within a vacuum chamber, while the front lens exceeds 5 feet (1.5 meters) in diameter. However, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory manufactured all three lenses in the camera configuration.
Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
The prime-focus imaging system, capturing a 15-second exposure every 20 seconds, provides exceptional detail in observing the universe, while its optical system, featuring three aspheric mirrors and large quick-change filters, optimizes light capture across ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths (0.3-1 µm).
Remarkable Imaging Capabilities Highlighted by Aaron Roodman
Aaron Roodman, Deputy Director and Camera Project Lead at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, stated, “Its detailed images could resolve a golf ball from 15 miles away while covering a swath of the sky seven times wider than the full Moon.”
Weighing approximately 6,600 lb (3,000 kg) and about the size of a small car, the entire setup will be transported to the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Later this year, it will be mounted atop the Simonyi Survey Telescope, aiding astronomers in uncovering cosmic mysteries.
Olivier Bonin/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
However, one objective is to study weak gravitational lensing, where massive galaxies bend light paths from background galaxies, causing imaging distortions. Researchers seek to better understand the universe’s expansion, the influence of the enigmatic force driving it, and current expansion rates.
Moreover, beyond shedding light on the universe’s composition, the decade-long project is poised to unveil insights about our own galaxy.
Anticipated for its high sensitivity, the LSST camera is expected to generate a detailed map of the Milky Way, providing insights into its structure, evolution, and characteristics of celestial objects.
Scientists Target Smaller Celestial Objects
Scientists also aim to study smaller objects in our solar system to understand neighboring celestial bodies better, our system’s formation, and identify potential asteroid threats.
“More than ever, advancing our understanding of fundamental physics requires delving deeper into the universe,” noted Kathy Turner of the DoE’s Cosmic Frontier Program.
“With the LSST Camera at its core, Rubin Observatory will delve deeper than ever before into the cosmos and contribute to addressing some of the most challenging and crucial questions in physics today.”
Read the original article on: New Atlas
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