The Evryscope: the first full-sky gigapixel-scale telescope

天文学传统上处理的是对天体的精确和详细的观测，一次只观测一个天体。 一种互补的方法变得越来越重要，那就是在相当长的时间间隔内巡视大面积的天空，这种方法使广泛的重要科学成为可能。 在该项目下正在建造的“Evryscope”机器人望远镜覆盖了非常广阔的天空视野，使用23个直径为7厘米的单独孔径阵列，每个孔径都配备了大尺寸探测器。 该望远镜将产生北方天空事件的完整记录，并将能够监测所有北方恒星的光输出，直到显着微弱的水平。 通过这些观测，将进行对其他恒星周围行星的敏感搜索，以及对恒星爆发和活动的研究。 该系统还将对著名的伽马射线暴（GRB）源、附近的超新星以及目前正在运行的引力波观测站可能进行的任何引力波探测的可能对应物敏感。Evryscope在每个望远镜上使用2900万像素的成像仪，每个成像仪覆盖394平方度的视场。 设计灵敏度是这样的，北方天空事件下降到19级将被监测。 对于每一颗亮度超过16等的北方星星，将获得精度优于1%、节奏快和持续多年的光变曲线。 该系统将能够探测到每一颗亮于12等的太阳型星星周围的凌日系外行星，在长期光变曲线中提供至少几个毫米级的光度精度。在最明亮和最接近的恒星周围，预计会有两倍于已知数量的凌日热彗星。Evryscope还将搜索经过附近M矮星的小行星，白色矮星的行星掩星，并将在其他行星发现方法无法到达的外来恒星系统周围进行日食计时搜索。该项目将把本科生纳入研究计划，并计划与天文馆进行创新合作，这一项目的资金由NSF的天文科学部通过其先进技术和仪器计划提供。

Astronomy traditionally deals with precise and detailed observations of celestial objects taken one at a time. A complementary approach is becoming more important, which is to patrol large areas of sky over substantial intervals of time, and a wide range of important science is enabled by this approach. The "Evryscope" robotic telescope being built under this project covers a very wide field of view on the sky, using an array of twenty-three individual apertures of 7 cm diameter, each outfitted with large-format detectors. This telescope will produce a complete record of Northern sky events, and will be able to monitor the light output from all Northern stars, down to significantly faint levels. By these observations, sensitive searches for planets around other stars will be carried out, as well as studies of stellar outbursts and activity. The system will also be sensitive to the famous gamma-ray burst (GRB) sources, nearby supernovae, and possible counterparts to any gravitational wave detections that might be made by gravitational wave observatories now in operation.Evryscope utilizes 29 Megapixel imagers on each individual telescope, and each covers 394 square degrees of field. The design sensitivity is such that Northern sky events down to 19th magnitude will be monitored. Light curves of better than 1% precision, with high cadence and many years' duration, will be obtained for every Northern star brighter than 16th magnitude. The system will be capable of detecting transiting exoplanets around every solar-type star brighter than 12th magnitude, providing at least few-millimagnitude photometric precision in long-term light curves. Around the brightest and closest stars it is expected to double the known number of transiting hot Jupiters. The Evryscope will also search for small planets transiting nearby M-dwarfs, for planetary occultations of white dwarfs, and will perform eclipse-timing searches for exoplanets around exotic stellar systems inaccessible to other planet-finding methods.This project will integrate undergraduates into the research program, and plans an innovative collaboration with planetariums to create zoom-able images of the sky that will involve the general public in astronomical research.Funding for this project is being provided by NSF's Division of Astronomical Sciences through its Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation program.