The first Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System telescope, Pan-STARRS 1, is now fully operational, tracking the sky for "killer" asteroids and comets.

The 1.8 metre facility in Hawaii is deemed to be the front line of Earth defence, scanning the sky every night with the world's largest digital camera that boasts 1,400 megapixels. As well as asteroids and comets, the telescope will also catalogue supernovae, quasars and stars as it maps one-sixth of the sky every month.

“PS1 has been taking science-quality data for six months, but now we are doing it dusk-to-dawn every night,” says Nick Kaiser of the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, and principal investigator of the Pan-STARRS project.

The camera will snap over 500 exposures each night, sending some four terabytes of data – equivalent to the data capacity of 1,000 DVDs – to the Maui High Performance Computing Center for analysis. There, the images will be quickly compared with those taken earlier that evening or week to determine if any objects have moved or changed in brightness.

Pan-STARRS scientists predict that over the next three years, 100,000 new asteroids will be identified and analysed to determine if any are on a collision course with the Earth. Pan-STARRS is also expected to catalogue five billion stars and 500 million galaxies, along with a new population of trans-Neptunian objects and comets. “The system has the capability to detect planet-size bodies on the outer fringes of our Solar System,” comments Smithsonian astronomer Matthew Holman.

“As soon as Pan-STARRS turned on, we felt like we were drinking from a fire hose!” adds Edo Berger from Harvard, who adds that Pan-STARRS is already finding several hundred transient objects a month, which would have taken a couple of years with previous facilities.

PS1 is the prototype for the even greater PS4 telescope, which will have four times the power of PS1.

This special publication features the photography of British astro-imager Nik Szymanek and covers a range of photographic methods from basic to advanced. Beautiful pictures of the night sky can be obtained with a simple camera and tripod before tackling more difficult projects, such as guided astrophotography through the telescope and CCD imaging.
 U.K. STORE
 E.U. STORE
 U.S. & WORLDWIDE STORE

Hubble Reborn
Hubble Reborn takes the reader on a journey through the Universe with spectacular full-colour pictures of galaxies, nebulae, planets and stars as seen through Hubble's eyes, along the way telling the dramatic story of the space telescope, including interviews with key scientists and astronauts.
 U.K. STORE
 E.U. STORE
 U.S. & WORLDWIDE STORE

The Planets
From tiny Mercury to distant Neptune and Pluto, The Planets profiles each of the Solar System's members in depth, featuring the latest imagery from space missions. The tallest mountains, the deepest canyons, the strongest winds, raging atmospheric storms, terrain studded with craters and vast worlds of ice are just some of the sights you'll see on this 100-page tour of the planets.
 U.K. STORE
 E.U. STORE
 U.S. & WORLDWIDE STORE

3D Universe
Witness the most awesome sights of the Universe as they were meant to be seen in this 100-page extravaganza of planets, galaxies and star-scapes, all in 3D!
 U.K. STORE
 E.U. STORE
 U.S. & WORLDWIDE STORE

This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
 U.K. STORE
 E.U. STORE
 U.S. & WORLDWIDE STORE