The Dark Energy Camera opens eyes and data
The Dark Energy Camera in Chile took its first picture in September 2012. After a series of tests, the 570-megapixels camera is expected to be operational in December 2012.
The Dark Energy Camera is the most powerful survey instrument of its kind, able to see light from over 100 000 galaxies up to 8 billion light years away in each snapshot. This camera is particularly sensitive to red and infrared light through 62 charged-coupled devices.
The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory [FermiLab] spent 8 years to construct the new instrument, roughly the size of a phone booth. The camera was mounted by Cerro-Tololo Inter-American Observatory [CTIO] in Chile.
“We are very exited to bring the Dark Energy Camera online and make it available for the astronomical community through the U.S. National Optical Astronomy Observatory’s open access telescope allocation,” said Chris Smith, director of the CTIO.
Over five years, the survey will create detailed colour images of one-eighth of the sky. The collected data will help astronomers and physicists to probe the mystery of the dark energy.
More information in the Dark Energy Survey website.
