Digital telescope project at Warwick secures grant for advanced sky monitoring

Digital telescope project at Warwick secures grant for advanced sky monitoring
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Apr 12, 2024

The University of Warwick has received a GBP 3 million grant from the European Research Council to develop a digital telescope designed for continuous, high-sensitivity monitoring of the night sky.

This innovative equipment will enable real-time detection of significant astrophysical phenomena such as stellar explosions and black hole mergers. It can also monitor satellites, asteroids, and hazardous space debris in Earth's orbit.

Traditional astronomical setups typically feature a single telescope on a rotating mount to counteract the Earth's rotation. In contrast, Warwick's digital telescope comprises multiple small, fixed telescopes, each outfitted with advanced sensors. These telescopes capture the motion of celestial bodies across their field of view, with computers compensating for terrestrial movement to generate precise sky images.

Advanced algorithms will enhance the capability to track various objects moving at any speed in any direction, including potentially hazardous near-Earth objects like asteroids and comets.

The project, led by Professor Don Pollacco, will also see the University of Warwick contributing an additional GBP 600,000. Plans are in place to establish the prototype, which will incorporate data from 52 telescopes, on the Canary Islands near the university's existing facilities on La Palma.

Professor Pollacco highlighted the urgency and transformative potential of the project. "Our current reliance on periodic sky surveys delays the detection of explosive cosmic events, costing us valuable insights into their physics which are best observed immediately post-explosion," he explained.

The system aims to improve the tracking of space debris as well, which poses an increasing risk to orbital satellites. By accurately determining debris and satellite trajectories, the telescope can enhance the clarity of astronomical data while cataloging orbital paths.

Pollacco anticipates the digital telescope's impact to extend beyond immediate space event detection to broader astronomical research, including the study of interstellar asteroids and distant exoplanets.

He also noted the significant technical challenges involved, particularly in processing the vast data streams necessary for continuous, wide-area sky observation.