Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Experiment Videos

Optical detection of rapidly moving objects in space.

William Priedhorsky1, Jeffrey J Bloch

  • 1Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop B241, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA. wpriedhorsky@lanl.gov

Applied Optics
|February 19, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Photon-counting detectors excel at tracking fast-moving space objects, offering superior sensitivity and detailed data. Charged-coupled-device (CCD) imagers are more effective for slower objects across larger fields of view.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same journal

Multifunctional reconfigurable terahertz metasurface based on vanadium dioxide phase transition: achieving broadband absorption and efficient polarization conversion.

Applied optics·2026
Same journal

High-Q-factor electromagnetically induced transparency utilizing quasi-bound states in the continuum in an all-dielectric terahertz metasurface.

Applied optics·2026
Same journal

Automated stitching interferometry for high-precision metrology of X-ray mirrors.

Applied optics·2026
Same journal

Experimental demonstration of an approach to designing a metal-dielectric DBR resonant cavity structure.

Applied optics·2026
Same journal

High-precision wavefront reconstruction from a single-shot interferogram using a physics-driven hybrid feature calibration network.

Applied optics·2026
Same journal

Ultra-high-Q Fano resonance based on coupled topological corner states in Kagome photonic crystals.

Applied optics·2026
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Area of Science:

  • Space observation technology
  • Astrophysics instrumentation
  • Object detection and tracking

Background:

  • Detecting small, fast-moving objects in space is challenging.
  • Zodiacal light presents a diffuse background noise source for space-based observations.
  • Photon-counting detectors and CCD imagers have different strengths for imaging applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the sensitivity of photon-counting detectors and CCD imagers.
  • To determine optimal detector choice for different space object detection scenarios.
  • To inform the development of advanced space object detection systems.

Main Methods:

  • Sensitivity comparison of photon-counting detectors and CCD imagers.
  • Simulated observation of small space objects against zodiacal light.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of detector performance based on object speed and field of view.

    • Main Results:

    • Photon-counting detectors show higher sensitivity for small, fast-moving objects in small fields of view.
    • CCDs are more sensitive for slower-moving objects and larger fields of view.
    • Photon-counting detectors provide angle-angle-time data and high-time-resolution light curves.

    Conclusions:

    • Photon-counting detectors are advantageous for detecting and tracking rapidly moving space objects.
    • CCDs are better suited for observing slower objects over wider areas.
    • Further development of microchannel-plate photon-counting systems and amplified CCDs is encouraged.