Search Results (364)

The transits of Venus occur in couples every 105/122 years: the observed ones were in 1639; 1761–1769; 1874–1882; and 2004–2012. The next couple will occur in the years 2117 and 2125. We need all four contacts to determine the solar diameter accurately. The black-drop phenomenon blurs internal contacts, so we developed a parabolic analysis of the chords drawn by the disk of Venus on the solar limb. The extrapolation of the zeroes gives the contact timings. We tested this method with some high-quality images obtained in 2004 and 2012, and we applied it to the observations of 2012 in a visual band (Huairou Solar Observing Station, hazy weather) and H-alpha (Shen Zen Astronomical Observatory). To exclude a reduction in the measured diameter by the haze, we made two series of measures at the Clementine Gnomon (Rome) and at the PHYSIS telescope (Rome), under various sky transparencies and with diffraction-limited instruments. The haze and the low altitudes above the horizon reduced accuracy at all first contacts examined, without changing the solar diameter. Our measures obtained in China during the transit of 2012 yielded a photospheric radius R_⊙P = 959.33″ ± 0.06″, based on 76 + 75 diffraction-limited images; this is compatible with the chromospheric radius measured at the base of the spiculae, which is R_⊙C = 959.78″ ± 0.11″, relying on 7 + 5 diffraction-limited series of images. Full article

Infrared cameras used in radio telescopes often suffer image degradation in complex optical and thermal environments. Solar radiation, convergent reflected light, and thermal emission from support structures can substantially impair imaging performance. To address this problem, this paper proposes a split reflective ellipsoidal baffle for suppressing infrared imaging degradation. Unlike conventional baffles, which mainly rely on structural occlusion and surface absorption, the proposed design functions as an upstream stray light regulation unit. It also establishes a computational framework integrating ellipsoidal vane geometry, realistic edge microtopography modelling, ray-tracing simulation, and detector plane irradiance response analysis. First, the reflective properties of the ellipsoidal surface are used to construct an off-axis stray light propagation constraint model. Under this model, incident stray radiation is redirected away from the effective imaging path or guided into light-trapping regions between adjacent vanes. Second, a laser confocal microscope is used to capture the true three-dimensional edge morphology of vanes with different materials and machining angles. This strategy addresses the limitations of the conventional 0.02 mm rounded edge approximation, which cannot accurately represent real scattering behaviour. The measured morphologies are then converted into high-fidelity computational models compatible with ray-tracing analysis. Furthermore, stray light suppression performance is evaluated using point source transmittance, detector plane irradiance distribution, and grey scale response in experimental images. Simulation and darkroom experiments show that the proposed baffle suppresses residual stray light more effectively than conventional absorptive baffles. The results demonstrate a computable, manufacturable, and experimentally verifiable strategy for front-end stray light control and baffle optimisation. This strategy can also support image quality enhancement in infrared imaging systems operating under complex optical and thermal environments. Full article

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) imaging of M87* and Sgr A* provides a unique opportunity to test spacetime geometries in the strong-field regime. Motivated by this, we systematically investigate the optical characteristics for three types of nonsingular black holes (BHs) with a Minkowski core and constrain the quantum gravity effect parameter $\alpha$ and the regularization parameter n using EHT observational data. Utilizing the observed shadow sizes of M87* and Sgr A*, we conduct a detailed comparison of the constraints on $\alpha$ for the three BH types. Our analysis reveals significant differences among them: Type I BHs exhibit the largest upper limit, whereas Type III BHs show the smallest upper limit. Furthermore, the constraints derived from M87* observations are tighter than those from Sgr A*, reflecting the close dependence of these limits on current observational precision. Subsequently, we simulate BH images at the current EHT resolution using a Gaussian filter. Although the photon ring and lensed ring features cannot be resolved, variations in shadow size and brightness distribution are clearly detectable. Within the parameter space allowed by EHT observations, the shadow size and total intensity exhibit a distinct monotonic hierarchy: Type I BHs display the largest shadow and highest total intensity, while Type III BHs show the opposite trend. Finally, we find that increasing $\alpha$ leads to shadow contraction and dimming, whereas increasing n causes the shadow to expand while making the optical characteristics of the three BH types increasingly indistinguishable. Consequently, the three BH types become more readily distinguishable only when n is small or $\alpha$ is large. Full article

Space-based optical detection is a critical capability for Space Situational Awareness, yet the scarcity of real on-orbit observation data significantly hampers the development and validation of object detection and tracking algorithms. To address this need, this paper proposes a high-fidelity image simulation method designed to provide reliable data sup-port for algorithm development and evaluation. The method systematically integrates or-bit propagation, high-precision astrometric corrections, imaging visibility constraints, and multi-source noise modeling. A unified Point Spread Function convolution streak model is established to consistently represent the motion blur of both stars and space objects during exposure. Additionally, simplified parametric stray light background models covering the Sun, Moon, and Earth airglow are constructed. Quantitative comparison with real image data from the Kaiyun-1 satellite demonstrates good agreement in star positions, streak morphology, and centroid localization accuracy. Preliminary validation against real data demonstrates that the proposed simulation framework can provide effective image data for testing and performance assessment of space-based situational awareness algorithms. Full article

Simulations of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) in dwarf galaxies within 10 Mpc that host bright nuclear star clusters (NSCs), prime candidates for IMBH formation, using the High Angular Resolution Monolithic Optical and Near-infrared Integral (HARMONI) field spectrograph on the Extremely Large Telescope, probe black hole formation in the early universe. Our approach combines observed surface-brightness profiles from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), synthetic stellar population spectra, and Jeans Anisotropic Modeling (JAM) for stellar dynamics. Mock HARMONI observations were generated with the HSIM simulator and analyzed in a Bayesian framework to infer IMBH masses down to 0.5% of the NSC mass. In this work, we extend these simulations by constructing improved stellar mass models using SimCADO to simulate imaging with the Multi-AO Imaging Camera for Deep Observations (MICADO). The MICADO data are jointly analyzed with HARMONI kinematics via JAM to reassess IMBH masses and uncertainties. This combined framework enables us to examine how variations in the NSC inner surface-brightness slope influence IMBH mass estimates, providing tighter constraints on low-mass black holes and advancing models for IMBH detection in NSCs. Full article

Small satellites provide cost-effective platforms for environmental monitoring. Open-source commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hyperspectral payloads, such as those launched with HYPSO-1 and -2, have a ground sampling distance (GSD) of 100 m. However, detecting smaller features, such as water quality in lakes, requires a GSD below 10 m and a high signal-to-noise ratio. Terrestrial COTS Schmidt–Cassegrain telescopes lack launch-load stiffness and in-orbit refocus capability. This study presents a deployable modified COTS (MCOTS) Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope that uses the original optical COTS components, a 3D-printed high-performance polymer (HPP) structure, and a dual-lead-screw deployment and focusing mechanism. The telescope has a stowed length of 280 mm and deploys to an additional 110 mm, making integration into a 16U platform with a payload length of 290 mm feasible. The modified structure is evaluated using shock and sine-sweep vibration testing, with collimation and focus verified before and after testing. Collimation remained concentric within measurement uncertainty. Complementary random-vibration finite-element simulations predicted a $3\sigma$ von Mises stress of 26.5 MPa, yielding a safety factor of 2.8. The results demonstrate a feasible pathway for adapting COTS telescopes toward space-grade COTS (SCOTS) payloads, bridging the gap between rapid production, cost efficiency, and performance for small Earth observation missions. Full article

Spaceborne detection of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) requires extremely high radiometric accuracy, and the polarization characteristics of an ultra-wide swath spaceborne fluorescence ultraspectral camera directly affect the accuracy of SIF retrieval. This study takes an ultra-wide swath camera based on an off-axis three-mirror anastigmat telescope combined with a Littrow–Offner spectrometer as the research object. A full-field-of-view (FOV), full-spectral, pixel-by-pixel polarization testing system was established based on the Stokes–Muller formalism, achieving for the first time fine characterization and calibration of the pixel-level polarization properties of such a payload. The results show that: (1) polarization sensitivity (LPS) exhibits a strong linear positive correlation with wavelength (R² > 0.97), with good uniformity (fluctuation < 1%) across the full ±15° FOV; (2) the polarization sensitive axis (PSA) shows a symmetric distribution across the FOV and gradually approaches 90° as the wavelength increases, with a clear deviation in the short-wavelength bands and stabilization in the mid-to-long wavelength bands; (3) through multiple sets of cross-validation and Monte Carlo statistics, the calibration accuracy reaches 0.1%, and the system uncertainty is better than 0.05%. This study can provide data support and a reference basis for high-accuracy spaceborne SIF retrieval, payload polarization correction, and optical design optimization. Full article

As origami-inspired solutions become more mature in spacecraft structures and applications, new alternatives are arising for traditional designs, allowing for creative and innovative answers to common problems. In this work, we look into space telescopes, one of the most feasible applications for new tubular solutions, using origami structures to propose the design of a self-retractable baffle. An element needed for mitigating both in-field and out-of-field stray light and helping to improve the image quality of the optical system. This baffle is rethought as a tubular, origami-inspired structure, built over a Kresling origami pattern. This choice can be traced back to the properties such structure has to offer: bi-stability, packaging ratio and controllability. Thus, it is becoming a promising alternative to standard baffles and helping to reduce key factors in spacecraft design, such as weight and complexity of the optomechanical mechanism. To demonstrate its effectiveness in an optical system, the professional software ASAP (Advanced System Analysis Program) is utilised to assess the optical performance of the new baffle design. As a result, we verify the applicability of these patterns and, therefore, the whole structure from an optical point of view, confirming the interest of its application as a telescope baffle. This solution also allows moving and modifying the inclination, shape or size of the baffle, selecting the amount of screening and light incidence into the telescope in a controlled manner depending on the orbit and attitude of interest. Full article

The Research and Observation in Medium Earth Orbit (ROMEO) mission, developed at the University of Stuttgart‘s Institute of Space Systems, seeks to demonstrate a cost-effective exploitation of the medium Earth orbit (MEO) for sustainable access to space. It uses a green propulsion system with water as propellant to reach up to 2500 km altitude starting from a 450 km sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). This paper presents the design and intended use of the ROMEO satellite as well as its two in-house developed camera systems, the public relations (PR) and the near-infrared (NIR) camera system. The PR camera system features two silicon sensors with a Bayer color pattern in a compact, lightweight package and in a cold redundant setup to reduce the impact of radiation-related degradation. Their wide field of view (128 × 96°) allows imaging of the complete visible Earth in the mission‘s final orbit and supports calibration of the Earthshine telescope, which is the primary payload. The NIR camera system uses a commercial InGaAs sensor with a high quantum efficiency up to 1700 nm, coupled to a 100 mm focal length optics assembly that yields a ground sampling distance of 45 m in the initial orbit. Its scientific objectives include monitoring gas flares and wildfires, which are relevant to climate change research, and demonstrating an exoplanet transit detection—an unprecedented capability for a small satellite using a commercial off-the-shelf InGaAs sensor in the NIR spectrum. This paper demonstrates that ROMEO’s compact, low-mass camera systems meet mission constraints while enabling a broad spectrum of scientific and outreach activities. Full article

To explore the influence of reaction wheel perturbations on the image quality of a space optical telescope, a comprehensive dynamic model of a precision optical system was established, and an optical-mechanical integrated analysis approach was adopted to calculate the line-of-sight (LOS) error of the optical telescope under reaction wheel disturbances and determine the key mode that contributes the most significantly to the LOS error based on the entire satellite hierarchy. The rigid body displacements and mirror deformations generated by the optical reflector under reaction wheel perturbations were analyzed in synergy with the optical system to illuminate the impact of reaction wheel perturbations on the imaging quality of the optical imaging system. Finally, a satellite micro-vibration experiment was conducted, and the relative errors between the simulation and the experiment of the optical telescope’s object space axis of LOS error under key modes were 9.34% and 6.52% respectively, thereby validating the accuracy of the simulation analysis. The analysis outcomes offer direct engineering guidance for the structural layout and vibration isolation design of on-orbit optical satellites. The core innovations of this study are primarily manifested in three aspects: First, a full-link optomechanical integrated analysis framework is established, which synergistically accounts for the coupled effects of mirror rigid-body displacement and surface deformation on imaging performance, thereby addressing the limitations of single-factor analysis in existing research. Second, the framework is validated through satellite micro-vibration experiments, with the relative errors between simulation and experimental results both below 10%, ensuring the engineering reliability of the proposed method. Third, the scope of micro-vibration analysis is extended across scales from macroscopic space optical systems to micro/nano-scale precision optical devices. Beyond its application to space telescopes, this framework can be directly generalized to micro-optical systems sensitive to micro-vibrations, including augmented reality (AR) near-eye displays, microlithography objectives, and MOEMS-based micro-devices. The proposed framework is universal and can be directly extended to micro-optical systems such as MOEMS-based devices, near-eye display modules, and photonic crystal optomechanical systems, providing a standardized analytical approach for anti-vibration design in micro-system engineering. Full article

Large-aperture optical synthetic aperture technology, by combining multiple aperture units, breaks through the limitations of a single reflector and has become the preferred system for extending the resolution and diffraction limit of imaging systems. In particular, segmented telescopes have accumulated extensive engineering practice experience, such as the 30 m TMT and the 39 m ELT. However, the stable maintenance of wavefront coherence between multiple sub-apertures requires strict phase synchronization and group delay matching accuracy, which hinders the further development of sparse aperture telescopes and distributed interferometric telescopes (Long-Baseline Interferometers). This review systematically summarizes the research progress on synthetic aperture systems in wavefront coherence detection and stable maintenance control, focusing on two main physical architectures (Michelson and Fizeau types) and the related control algorithms. Furthermore, based on the basic logic from “measurement” to “modulation”, it prospects the development trends driven by interdisciplinary technologies such as embodied intelligent dynamic prediction, photonic integration, and real-time sensing based on deep learning. The aim is to provide a reference for wavefront-stabilization solutions in the next-generation ultra-large-aperture optical synthetic aperture systems. Full article

Daytime detection of space targets is challenging due to the strong skylight background and the limited resolution of conventional polarization imaging systems. In this work, we present a semiconductor-based polarization detection method that integrates a CMOS polarization imaging sensor with a Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope. To compensate for the spatial resolution loss inherent in division-of-focal-plane semiconductor polarization detectors, a bicubic interpolation algorithm is applied to reconstruct the degree and angle of polarization images. Furthermore, a spectral filtering strategy is introduced to suppress skylight-induced stray radiation, improving image contrast and reducing the risk of detector saturation. The developed system combines semiconductor optoelectronic detection, optical filtering, and computational reconstruction into a compact experimental platform. Validation experiments on Polaris and low-Earth-orbit space targets under daytime conditions demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves clearer and sharper polarization images compared with traditional intensity-based methods. Objective evaluation metrics, including gradient, contrast, brightness, and spatial frequency, confirm significant improvements in image quality. These results highlight the potential of semiconductor optoelectronic devices for polarization-based imaging and provide an effective framework for enhancing daytime space target detection. Full article

This work presents the development and experimental characterization of a compact ultraviolet (UV) telescope based on silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) designed for the detection of faint atmospheric optical tracks. Such transient optical phenomena include meteors, transient luminous events (TLEs), space debris reentries, and other faint atmospheric emissions. Nuclearite-induced atmospheric emission is considered as a benchmark case for evaluating the expected signal levels of rare luminous track events. We detail the fabrication, assembly, and testing of the SiPM sensor array, comprising parallel Geiger-mode avalanche diodes with high fill factor and photon detection efficiency, alongside custom readout electronics using self-triggering ASICs, precision optical components, and a stable mechanical mount. This photon-counting telescope provides a compact and mechanically robust alternative to conventional PMT-based systems, with demonstrated capability for detecting low-light atmospheric tracks under controlled laboratory conditions. Full article

Ground-based astronomical images are often degraded by atmospheric turbulence and deterministic optical aberrations introduced by telescope design and manufacturing processes. Joint mitigation of these distortions remains challenging due to the lack of reliable ground-truth data. To address this issue, a physics-based atmospheric–optical imaging model is developed to generate a large-scale, physically consistent simulated dataset, enabling supervised learning without real paired observations. Based on this, an attention-enhanced generative adversarial network (AE-GAN) is proposed for astronomical image restoration. The network incorporates a Channel Attention Block (CAB) and a Semantic Attention Module (SAM) within a feature pyramid architecture to enhance multi-scale representation and suppress turbulence-induced distortions. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves consistent restoration performance under varying turbulence strengths, aberration amplitudes, and noise levels. Compared with recent Transformer-based methods, it maintains competitive performance across different aberration types while achieving significantly higher computational efficiency (1.21 s per image, 3.5× faster). In addition, the model trained on simulated data generalizes effectively to real astronomical observations. Full article

High-fidelity star field simulation is paramount for target detection and space situational awareness (SSA) in geostationary and deep-space environments. However, accurately modeling the synergistic effects of ultra-dense stellar backgrounds and complex platform perturbations remains a formidable challenge. This paper proposes an integrated simulation framework that leverages the Gaia catalog to generate high-precision stellar environments. The core methodological novelty lies in the end-to-end coupling of a full optoelectronic imaging chain with dynamic platform disturbances, effectively bridging the gap between theoretical orbital dynamics and realistic sensor responses. Distinguishing itself from conventional models, our approach uniquely integrates radiative transfer and high-fidelity noise suites—including photon shot noise and non-uniform stray light—while utilizing the Gaia catalog to achieve unprecedented precision in simulating dim stars at low magnitudes. The fidelity of the proposed model was quantitatively validated against empirical data from a ground-based wide-field telescope (GTC). Experimental results, derived from multiple simulation realizations, demonstrate high consistency with real-world observations, achieving a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) error of less than 10% and a sub-pixel centroiding accuracy exceeding 0.01 pixels. This work provides a robust, high-fidelity data synthesis tool that significantly advances the development of target detection algorithms and the performance optimization of space-based optical sensors. Full article