astronomical instruments

Answer 1

Astronomical instruments referred to a type of instrument and equipment used to observe celestial bodies and demonstrate astronomical phenomena. Their distribution was not limited to the surface of the Earth, but also included various telescopes and radiation detectors in space.

For example, the Skipper CCD. It was a charge-coupled device that was used on the 4.1-meter-high Southern Astrophysics Research telescope. In 2024, it was the first time that this technology was used to capture astronomical spectrum. This technology could enable accurate, low-noise astronomical observations, help reduce the risk of using this technology in the future, and was crucial to the Department of Energy's future Cosmology projects. The Skipper CCDwas introduced in 1990 to reduce electronic noise to the level where a single photon could be measured. Its strategy was to make multiple measurements on the interested pixeland skip the rest, which could improve the accuracy of the measurement of the image's region of interest while reducing the total read-out time. It was first used in dark matter experiments in 2017, and recently, it was used to observe the night sky and collect astronomical data for the first time. It also achieved sub-electron read-out noise in astrophysical CCD-based observations for the first time, and counted individual photons at optical frequencies. The next generation of Skipper CCDs had been identified for future Department of Energy cosmic work, and NASA was also considering equipping the upcoming Habitable World Observatory with Skipper CCDs.

There were also many astronomical instruments in ancient China, such as the simplified instrument of the Purple Mountain Observatory. Its principle was the same as that of modern observation instruments. It could determine the position of a star relative to the horizon and the equator through the ring, pointer, square hole, and cross wire in its structure. There was also the horizon theodolite, one of the eight large bronze astronomical instruments made in the Qing Dynasty. It was used to determine the latitude and longitude of celestial bodies (or targets). It was made in the fifty-second year of Kangxi (1713 - 1715) and was supervised by the German missionary Gillian. It combined the structure and function of the horizon theodolite and the quadrants into one. It also had the function of measuring the sky. It considered both scientific observation and artistic performance.

In addition, there were also astronomical instruments in ancient times. The ancients of our country created them to intuitively and vividly understand the mutual positions and movement laws of the sun, moon and stars. They were the direct ancestors of the modern celestial globe. There were also astronomical instruments in ancient foreign countries, such as the ancient Greek astronomical instrument replicated from the remains of the ancient astronomical instrument found on the ancient Roman shipwreck, and the Antikythera Mechanism of the second century B.C. discovered when the ancient shipwreck was salvaged near Greece at the beginning of the last century. This instrument had a complex gear set that could calculate the lunar calendar, display the position of the sun and moon, predict solar and lunar eclipses, and also calculate the movement of the planets.

In modern times, experts like Academician Zhu Nenghong in China had developed many cutting-edge astronomical optical observation equipment, such as 1.56-meter astrological telescope, lunar dual-speed camera, vacuum photographic zenith tube, 1-meter laser rangefinder, 1-meter laser communication telescope, dual-focus large-field large-aperture optical telescope, etc.

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