New telescope camera benefits IU astronomers

The new One Degree Imager camera at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona will allow IU researchers to examine large images of the night sky in the Sonoran desert.

The camera is part of the WIYN telescope at Kitt Peak, which is operated by astronomers from IU, Yale University, the University of Wisconsin and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory.

Astronomers from other parts of the world also contribute to its operation.

“This new camera represents a major step forward for IU Astronomy, the WIYN Observatory partners and the astronomical community as it will enable IU researchers and students to study the universe in big chunks instead of tiny pieces,” assistant professor of astronomy Katherine Rhode said in a press release. “We can image entire star clusters, galaxies and groups of galaxies all at once while still seeing the detailed features of each object.”

The large images will be about two gigabytes in size, according to a press release, and will produce between two and four terabytes of data each week.
“Having a wide field will allow us to study these objects in their entirety to measure accurate global properties and to study how their properties vary spatially across the field,” Rhode said.

— Kirsten Clark