SuperBIT: Balloon-borne telescope the 'size of a football stadium' releases its first images
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The Super-pressure Balloon-borne Imaging Telescope (SuperBIT) is a high-resolution telescope that investigates the universe from the stratosphere. It uses NASA's super-pressure balloon system.
SuperBIT has successfully captured its first images of the Antennae Galaxies—two large galaxies colliding 60 million light-years away, and the Tarantula Nebula—a massive and bright star-forming region located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, visible to the naked eye from Earth.
The SuperBIT is a collaborative effort between NASA, Princeton University, Durham University, and the University of Toronto.
SuperBIT provides a unique perspective on the universe
SuperBIT was developed by scientists at the University of Toronto led by Prof. Barth Netterfield. It was launched in 2019 from Wānaka, New Zealand, with the help of the Canadian Space Agency and CNES.
SuperBIT was launched with the primary goal of providing insight into the distribution of dark matter in galaxy clusters and across large-scale structures in the universe. Dark matter is a type of matter that makes up 85 percent of the universe. But, it is impossible to detect as it doesn't interact with electromagnetic radiation. The only way it interacts with matter is via the gravitational force.
SuperBIT will map dark matter in the universe using gravitational lensing. When light passes near large-scale structures in the universe, like galaxy clusters, the light around it gets visibly bent (similar to how the light gets bent by a lens). SuperBIT can then infer the presence and relative quantity of the dark matter in the galaxy clusters.
According to some theories about dark matter, during a collision, some dark matter may slow down, flake off, or spread out. By observing the flaked-off dark matter, scientists can start to understand more about its nature and properties.
The potential of SuperBIT for future astronomical research
Flying at an altitude of 33.5 km above sea level, SuperBIT primarily takes high-resolution images, similar to the Hubble telescope but with a much wider field of view. However, its other applications include high-resolution earth observation and its use in high-bandwidth laser-based telecommunications systems. The technology has made significant strides in balloon-borne astronomical research and makes a strong case for future research and funding for the same.
One of the cool things about SuperBIT is its ability to return to Earth. It uses helium as rocket fuel, and its parachute design makes it very easy to return to Earth. This means that as we discover more and more about the universe, the telescope can be continuously upgraded to keep up with our requirements and advancing technologies.
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