LSST to get 3.2GP Camera

Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), currently under construction at the peak of Chile’s Cerro Pachiòn, is all set for a new 3.2 GP wide-aperture camera. The camera, in combination with an 8.4m dual-surface mirror, is capable of capturing 1000 pairs of exposures within a 3.5-degree span of the night sky. It is also supported by a database that can store 60 petabytes of data in a year.

The LSST is being funded by the National Science Foundation, while the funding for the new camera comes from the US Department of Energy. The camera is equipped with a unique filter-changing mechanism to capture light from various sources ranging from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths of the spectrum. The assembling is expected to be complete by 2020, after which the telescope will reportedly embark on a 10-year survey of the night sky.