A new algorithm called Image MM has been developed to enhance images from ground-based telescopes. Created by Yashil Sukurdeep at Johns Hopkins University, this technology can significantly reduce atmospheric blur, producing clearer images of the night sky. It has already been tested successfully on the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii.
Ground-based telescopes face challenges because light travels through Earth’s atmosphere, which distorts images. This distortion, known as “seeing,” causes stars to twinkle. Other methods, like adaptive optics, help improve image quality by using lasers to create artificial stars. However, these methods still leave some noise and blur in the images.
Sukurdeep explains, “Think of the atmosphere as a shifting curtain that makes everything blurry. Our algorithm can penetrate that curtain, enabling us to see the sharp images behind it.” So far, Image MM has produced sharper and more detailed images than before.
One exciting application will be at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. This observatory aims to map dark matter by measuring how it distorts light from galaxies, a phenomenon called weak gravitational lensing. The algorithm will sharpen these images, making it easier to detect subtle changes caused by dark matter.
Tamás Budavári, also from Johns Hopkins, mentions that even slight improvements in image quality from ground-based observatories can be significant. While space telescopes like Hubble and James Webb provide stunning images, they have narrower fields of view. The Rubin Observatory can capture a much wider area, about the size of seven full moons.
Despite its impressive capabilities, Sukurdeep points out that ground-based telescopes will never completely match the quality of space telescopes. “We’re getting as close to perfect as we can with current technology,” he says.
This algorithm marks a significant leap in astronomy, allowing more detailed exploration of our universe. For those interested in the technical details, a paper about Image MM and its results was recently published in The Astronomical Journal.
For more on imaging technology in astronomy, check out this article.
