The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is a continuing project to produce a digital map of the entire sky visible from Apache Point, NM. This map provides highly precise measurements of the multi-color brightnesses of all objects seen in the sky to a faintness 16 million times fainter than the faintest stars visible to the naked eye (what astronomers call 23rd magnitude). This original camera, installed in the late 1990s, is the core element in the imaging system that produced both the accurate positional maps required to isolate the candidate galaxies, together with their photometric, or brightness properties, and laid the basis for the determination of their radial velocities utilizing plug plates, an example of which is also in the collection.
An international consortium of universities and laboratories built this large-format mosaic detector device around a series of matched charge-coupled device (CCD) chips in two groups. Institutions included Princeton University, the University of Chicago, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Japanese Participation Group, Fermilab, the University of Washington, the Naval Observatory, and The Johns Hopkins University. Funding came from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the National Science Foundation. Support also came from a Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research, from the Ministry of Education in Japan, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and also Keith Gollust.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
INSTRUMENTS-Scientific
Other
Michael Evans
Manufacturer
The Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) , University of Washington
Dimensions
3-D (White Base Only): 90.5 × 90.5 × 29.2cm, 415kg (2 ft. 11 5/8 in. × 2 ft. 11 5/8 in. × 11 1/2 in., 915lb.)
3-D (Height in current unturned position, excludes lifting fixture): 97.2cm (3 ft. 2 1/4 in.)
Materials
Ferrous Alloys
Aluminum Alloys
Plastics (Including Possible PVC Tubing, Possible Rubber)
Copper Alloys
Adhesive
Glass
Inks
Adhesive Tape (Including Kapton Tape)
Adhesives
Uncharacterized Foam
Electronic Wiring
Inventory Number
A20130052000
Credit Line
Donated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) with support from the Sloan Foundation, NSF and the Japanese Ministry of Education
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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