NEWS: 1,400 megapixel (1.4 gigapixel) sensor!
in [Digital Cameras]
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From: Robert Coe on 19 Jun 2010 08:48 On Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:53:59 -0500, Rich <none(a)nowhere.com> wrote: : John Navas <jncl1(a)navasgroup.com> wrote in : news:hjkk16teiesl9iq8opmralgq4odeoumi5h(a)4ax.com: : : > A new telescope facility in Hawaii designed to search for asteroids : > and comets which could threaten Earth has been made operational. : > : > The Pan-STARRS 1 telescope will map large portions of the sky each : night : > to track not only close space objects, but also exploding stars : > (supernovae). : > : > The telescope has been taking science data for six months but is now : > operating from dusk-dawn each night. : > : > Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) is expected to map one-sixth of the sky every month. : > : > The facility boasts a huge digital camera: a 1,400 megapixel (1.4 : > gigapixel) device that can photograph an area of the sky as large as : > 36 full Moons in a single exposure. : > : > "Although modest in size, this telescope is on the cutting edge of : > technology," said Dr Nick Kaiser, head of the Pan-STARRS project. : > : > The giant digital camera will take over 500 exposures each night, : > collecting about four terabytes of data (equivalent to what 1,000 : > DVDs can hold). : > : > MORE: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10340488.stm> : > : : They're doing this now because they know the future holds very bad things : for astronomers. Like massive increase in space junk, which ruin image : when caught on them. A more cogent explanation for why they're doing it now: If they do find an asteroid that threatens the Earth, it's useful to have as much time as possible to try to figure out what to do about it. Bob
From: Eric Stevens on 19 Jun 2010 18:42 On Sat, 19 Jun 2010 08:48:42 -0400, Robert Coe <bob(a)1776.COM> wrote: >On Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:53:59 -0500, Rich <none(a)nowhere.com> wrote: >: John Navas <jncl1(a)navasgroup.com> wrote in >: news:hjkk16teiesl9iq8opmralgq4odeoumi5h(a)4ax.com: >: >: > A new telescope facility in Hawaii designed to search for asteroids >: > and comets which could threaten Earth has been made operational. >: > >: > The Pan-STARRS 1 telescope will map large portions of the sky each >: night >: > to track not only close space objects, but also exploding stars >: > (supernovae). >: > >: > The telescope has been taking science data for six months but is now >: > operating from dusk-dawn each night. >: > >: > Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) is expected to map one-sixth of the sky every month. >: > >: > The facility boasts a huge digital camera: a 1,400 megapixel (1.4 >: > gigapixel) device that can photograph an area of the sky as large as >: > 36 full Moons in a single exposure. >: > >: > "Although modest in size, this telescope is on the cutting edge of >: > technology," said Dr Nick Kaiser, head of the Pan-STARRS project. >: > >: > The giant digital camera will take over 500 exposures each night, >: > collecting about four terabytes of data (equivalent to what 1,000 >: > DVDs can hold). >: > >: > MORE: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10340488.stm> >: > >: >: They're doing this now because they know the future holds very bad things >: for astronomers. Like massive increase in space junk, which ruin image >: when caught on them. > >A more cogent explanation for why they're doing it now: If they do find an >asteroid that threatens the Earth, it's useful to have as much time as >possible to try to figure out what to do about it. Asteroids are not as big a risk as comets. Eric Stevens
From: Robert Coe on 20 Jun 2010 07:23 On Sun, 20 Jun 2010 10:42:02 +1200, Eric Stevens <eric.stevens(a)sum.co.nz> wrote: : On Sat, 19 Jun 2010 08:48:42 -0400, Robert Coe <bob(a)1776.COM> wrote: : : >On Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:53:59 -0500, Rich <none(a)nowhere.com> wrote: : >: John Navas <jncl1(a)navasgroup.com> wrote in : >: news:hjkk16teiesl9iq8opmralgq4odeoumi5h(a)4ax.com: : >: : >: > A new telescope facility in Hawaii designed to search for asteroids : >: > and comets which could threaten Earth has been made operational. : >: > : >: > The Pan-STARRS 1 telescope will map large portions of the sky each : >: night : >: > to track not only close space objects, but also exploding stars : >: > (supernovae). : >: > : >: > The telescope has been taking science data for six months but is now : >: > operating from dusk-dawn each night. : >: > : >: > Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) is expected to map one-sixth of the sky every month. : >: > : >: > The facility boasts a huge digital camera: a 1,400 megapixel (1.4 : >: > gigapixel) device that can photograph an area of the sky as large as : >: > 36 full Moons in a single exposure. : >: > : >: > "Although modest in size, this telescope is on the cutting edge of : >: > technology," said Dr Nick Kaiser, head of the Pan-STARRS project. : >: > : >: > The giant digital camera will take over 500 exposures each night, : >: > collecting about four terabytes of data (equivalent to what 1,000 : >: > DVDs can hold). : >: > : >: > MORE: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10340488.stm> : >: > : >: : >: They're doing this now because they know the future holds very bad things : >: for astronomers. Like massive increase in space junk, which ruin image : >: when caught on them. : > : >A more cogent explanation for why they're doing it now: If they do find an : >asteroid that threatens the Earth, it's useful to have as much time as : >possible to try to figure out what to do about it. : : Asteroids are not as big a risk as comets. The comets we see are already orbiting the earth, while asteroids tend, from our point of view, to be wandering the solar system fairly randomly. And comets' orbits are highly elliptical, which allows them to get pretty close. So we may be more likely to get hit by a comet. But comets are thought to be fairly light, slushy objects that may not do a lot of damage on impact. Asteroids, OTOH, are mostly solid rocks; and if a big one hits us, we'll know it. Bob
From: Atheist Chaplain on 20 Jun 2010 07:26
"Eric Stevens" <eric.stevens(a)sum.co.nz> wrote in message news:rrhq16p59k5e6n4985jtmhdve2jkskqtat(a)4ax.com... > On Sat, 19 Jun 2010 08:48:42 -0400, Robert Coe <bob(a)1776.COM> wrote: > >>On Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:53:59 -0500, Rich <none(a)nowhere.com> wrote: >>: John Navas <jncl1(a)navasgroup.com> wrote in >>: news:hjkk16teiesl9iq8opmralgq4odeoumi5h(a)4ax.com: >>: >>: > A new telescope facility in Hawaii designed to search for asteroids >>: > and comets which could threaten Earth has been made operational. >>: > >>: > The Pan-STARRS 1 telescope will map large portions of the sky each >>: night >>: > to track not only close space objects, but also exploding stars >>: > (supernovae). >>: > >>: > The telescope has been taking science data for six months but is now >>: > operating from dusk-dawn each night. >>: > >>: > Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) is expected to map one-sixth of the sky every >>month. >>: > >>: > The facility boasts a huge digital camera: a 1,400 megapixel (1.4 >>: > gigapixel) device that can photograph an area of the sky as large as >>: > 36 full Moons in a single exposure. >>: > >>: > "Although modest in size, this telescope is on the cutting edge of >>: > technology," said Dr Nick Kaiser, head of the Pan-STARRS project. >>: > >>: > The giant digital camera will take over 500 exposures each night, >>: > collecting about four terabytes of data (equivalent to what 1,000 >>: > DVDs can hold). >>: > >>: > MORE: >><http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10340488.stm> >>: > >>: >>: They're doing this now because they know the future holds very bad >>things >>: for astronomers. Like massive increase in space junk, which ruin image >>: when caught on them. >> >>A more cogent explanation for why they're doing it now: If they do find an >>asteroid that threatens the Earth, it's useful to have as much time as >>possible to try to figure out what to do about it. > > Asteroids are not as big a risk as comets. > > > > Eric Stevens that's like saying "Syphilis is the best of all possible venereal diseases" (to quote Jeremy Clarkson) your still in a world of hurt if any of the big ones hit :-) -- [This comment is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Church of Scientology International] "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ." Gandhi |