A new camera design, using arrayed telescopes, could capture images of celestial objects simultaneously and with great detail, a study released on Wednesday said.

The camera would potentially allow hypertelescopes, small units arranged in multi-field patterns, instead of standard telescopes with a single and massive mirrored lens, to obtain of planets, pulsars, and distant galaxies outside the solar system.

"A multi-field hypertelescope could, in principle, capture a highly detailed image of a star, possibly also showing its planets and even the details of the planets' surfaces," said Antoine Labeyrie of the Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur and pioneer of the hypertelescope design.

"It could allow planets outside of our solar system to be seen with enough detail that spectroscopy could be used to search for evidence of photosynthetic life."

A report published Wednesday in the journal Optics Letters described optical modeling results verifying that the multi-field design can substantially extend the narrow field-of-view coverage of hypertelescopes developed thus far. It envisions small devices placed in proximity, with computers joining images and offering superior resolution.

A full-size version, with a wide field of view, is under construction in the French Alps. In theory, one could also be constructed in space, with numerous small mirrors, tilted so that each offers a different field of view, forming a very large concave mirror. It would focus light from a star or other celestial object and direct it to a separate, camera-equipped spacecraft.

Source: United Press International

Related Links
Hypertelescope
Stellar Chemistry, The Universe And All Within It

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Astrophysicists utilize polarization to watch quasars
Moscow, Russia (SPX) Mar 16, 2020
A team of researchers from Russia and Greece has shown a way to determine the origins and nature of quasar light by its polarization. The new approach is analogous to the way cinema glasses produce a 3D image by feeding each eye with the light of a particular polarization: either horizontal or vertical. The authors of the recent study in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society managed to distinguish between the light coming from different parts of quasars - their disks and jets - by ... read more