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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."

9 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 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!
    2. 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.

    3. 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.

  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. 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. 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

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

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