Cambridge (MA) – Researchers have developed a powerful new image sensor to be used in the digital camera of the Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System). The system consists of 60 24 megapixel charged coupled devices (CCDs), provided a total resolution of 1.4 gigapixels or 1,444,000,000 pixels – more than 100 times the resolution available in today’s high-end consumer digital cameras.   

The new image sensor is expected to yield first results when Pan-STARRS, which is installed on Haleakala mountain, Maui, goes into operation next month. The telescope will photograph the entire sky visible from that location - about 3/4 of the total sky – at least once a week.

At the heart of the telescope is an orthogonal-transfer charge-coupled device (OTCCD) that was developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. The chip delivers a resolution of 38,000 x 38,000 pixels and promises to take pictures seen by Pan-STARRS, which is believed to detect stars 10 million times fainter than those visible to the naked eye and has a somewhat unique ability to find moving or variable objects. A key technology to make this possible is the OTCCD, which somewhat resembles the functionality of a moving lens or chip mount in consumer digital cameras to compensate for random image motion.

The OTCCD does the same, but does it electronically at the pixel level and at much higher speeds, MIT representatives said. Consisting of 60 individual OTCCDs, the entire chip allows for independent shifting of individual OTCCDs to track image motion across a wide area.  

The scientists said the primary mission of Pan-STARRS is to detect Earth-approaching asteroids and comets that could be dangerous to the planet. Pan-STARRS will also be used to catalog 99% of stars in the northern hemisphere that have ever been observed by visible light, including stars from nearby galaxies, the researchers said.

The data will be analyzed at the Maui High Performance Computer Center.