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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."

17 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. That's a lot of pixels by symbolset · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Automation is good, but where are they going to get the humans to evaluate the gigabits per second of data? Are they looking for a volunteer effort, or have they got it?

    --
    Help stamp out iliturcy.
    1. Re:That's a lot of pixels by aramosfet · · Score: 2, Informative

      No, they wont be snapping an image every second, They'll be taking long exposure pics to gather enough light. so you'd be snapping just a few pics every day. That being said analyzing all those pics could take lot longer, unless they have image analysis softwares which scan, analyze them all and and flag anything unusual.

    2. Re:That's a lot of pixels by imakemusic · · Score: 3, Informative

      I'm no astronomer, but presumably a computer can...

      1) Compare image to previous image.
      2) Highlight areas where there has been a significant change.
      3) ?????
      4) Show these bits to a human.
      5) Profit (for the human, not the computer).

      --
      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
    3. Re:That's a lot of pixels by Kentari · · Score: 5, Informative

      Actually, accumulation time for Pan-Starrs survey images is typically only around 30 seconds, which is not dramatically different from other surveys. At 2.8 gigabytes of data per image (16-bits per pixel) you are looking at a data rate of 1.50 gigabit per second.

      Most of processing (calibration, star detection...) and object detection (asteroids, supernovae and other transient objects) is very automated, with minimal interference from humans. Next to the asteroid/supernova search the project will create a master sky image, adding all good images into one to create a comprehensive and deep survey of the cosmos.

      Source: Pan-Starrs Website.

    4. 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.

    5. Re:That's a lot of pixels by chichilalescu · · Score: 2, Insightful

      it's kind of sad, but in today's big cities you can't see stars. Light pollution, smog, whatever.
      personally, at some point I am going to miss them enough to go to a website where they want me to watch starry skies.

      --
      new sig
    6. Re:That's a lot of pixels by inKubus · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think this is a really exciting project because it's the first in a long line of possibilities to take whole-sky digital movies. You could conceivably add more of these arrays to the four corners of the globe and have a whole sky image even more frequently, up to daily. Then it's just a matter of "how deep" into space you're looking, and that's where the resolution comes in. More megapixels per frame means they can use a wider focal length to see a given depth into space. The next step after you reach the daily image is to put arrays in orbit around the sun, 6 total and have a real 3d view of space. We're only in the beginning. If they had spent what they've spent on Iraq and Afghanistan on this, we would already have this. We need to get our priorities straight before we stagnate as a species. We need "future occupations" once the solar and geothermal powered robots are taking care of our food, homes, and everything else we need to survive. "Jobless recovery" means this is coming far faster than anyone wants to think.

      --
      Cool! Amazing Toys.
  2. 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.

  3. 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+++ ?

  4. 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.....

  5. 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
  6. 40 centimeters square? by Barnett · · Score: 2

    What is 40 centimeters square? Is it 40cm x 40cm, or 40 square centimeters (40cm)?

  7. Re:contributions from amateurs by lollacopter · · Score: 5, Informative

    Some amateurs assist these kinds of projects via sites such ash http://www.galaxyzoo.org/ which is a site that asks you to classify galaxies into types such as clockwise-spiral or elliptical etc. I know I like doing this as the skies around where I live are very light polluted so its nice to assist in some way I can, and there is just so much data to go through that all eyeballs are appreciated

  8. Bad article by Kentari · · Score: 2, Informative

    Better information, though not of great quantity is found on the Pan=Starrs website.

    What is now online is the PS1 prototype on Haleakala. PS4 is the final goal of this project, which is basically 4 PS1 units each equipped with 1 1.4 Gigapixel camera, to be build on Mauna Kea. As usual there are delays and the project focus is now bringing PS1 to "full survey" status (which seems to be completed) and building the PS2 telescope, also on Haleakala.

  9. Looking in the wrong direction? by Psaakyrn · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Somehow, I think there are more threats to Earth down here than up there..

  10. 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.