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1,400 Megapixel Pan-STARRS Telescope Comes Online

Posted by timothy on from the don't-get-your-panstarrs-in-a-bunch dept.

ElectricSteve writes "Astronomers in Hawaii have announced they've successfully managed to boot up the Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System) telescope. Working from dusk to dawn every night, Pan-STARRS is able to map one-sixth of the sky each month, allowing astronomers to track all moving objects, calculate their orbits, and identify any potential threats to Earth. There are four Pan-STARRS cameras in total, each capable of capturing around 1.4 billion pixels over a sensor measuring 40 centimeters square. The focal plane of each camera contains an almost complete 64x64 array of CCD devices, each containing approximately 600x600 pixels, for a total resolution of 1.4 gigapixels."

7 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. identify any potential threats to Earth. by Capt_Idle · · Score: 4, Funny

    "General, we've identified a potential threat to Earth - the machine is paying off."
    "Great news, colonel. What's the next strategic step."
    "Bring a towel".

    1. Re:identify any potential threats to Earth. by Capt_Idle · · Score: 5, Funny

      Dear Mr. Coward. Although your gesture is very poetic, and indeed almost sexual, it's entirely against protocol.
      You can't seriously expect me to accept your offer without orders signed in triplicate, sent in, sent back, queried, lost, found, subjected to public inquiry, lost again, and finally buried in soft peat for three months, can you.

  2. what would you call this resolution? by aramosfet · · Score: 2, Funny

    If we could build giant LCD with 38,400x38,400 resolution, what would you call it, UUUQSXGA+++ ?

  3. Sign Me Up!!! by Cyberia · · Score: 5, Funny

    AWWW RIGHT!!!! Where do I sign up? oh wait, Pan-STARSS... nevermind... thought it read 1,400 Megapixel Porn-STARSS.....

  4. No match for... by cybereal · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well that's great, it's nice to be able to see distant objects.

    But what if you want to SMELL distant objects! yeah! That's why it's no match for my smell-o-scope here. Now that I've perfected the stench coils and installed an automatic lens-cheese remover, you can rest easy knowing you'll soon be smelling astronomical odors thanks to me! // Yay Futurama is back!

    --
    I read the script, and I think it would help my character's motivation if he was on fire. -Bender
  5. Re:That's a lot of pixels by strack · · Score: 3, Funny

    id say its gonna be along the lines of ZOMG GUYZ SUPRNOVAR OVER HERE! QUICK POINT UR LOLASCOPES THIS WAI! to other large telescopes over the internet.

  6. Not "any" threats by Len · · Score: 2, Funny

    The article says Pan-STARRS can "identify any potential threats to Earth", but it can only find asteroids and comets that are about to hit us. They don't claim to be able to spot other threats, such as:

    • Dalek invasion fleet
    • Berserker machines
    • Chain reaction of supernovae
    • Radiation front from the collapse of the galactic core
    • Borg attack from the future
    • Galaxy-wide iPhone recall

    Stupid gadget blogs, over-hyping stuff as usual.