New telescope in Hawaii has world’s largest digital camera to search for killer asteroids

New Hawaii telescope searches for killer asteroids

HALEAKALA, Hawaii — Scientists in Hawaii are using what is believed to be the world’s largest digital camera to search for killer asteroids.

The University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy said Wednesday the world is now “a slightly safer place” because of the new 1.8-meter telescope atop Haleakala (hah-LAY’-ah-kah-lah) on Maui.

Pan-STARRS, or Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System, contains a 1,400 megapixel digital camera that searches for objects that move or change brightness from one night to the next.

The telescope designed and built by astronomers and engineers at the university has been turned over to the PS1 Science Consortium. The group is composed of the university and nine other institutions in the U.S., Germany, United Kingdom and Taiwan.