真乄科技業的頂尖投資團隊

Canon ultra-large-scale, ultra-high-sensitivity CMOS sensor makes possible wide field-of-view video recording of meteors with equivalent apparent magnitude of 10

TOKYO, September 15, 2011-Canon Inc. today announced that an ultra-large-scale, ultra-high-sensitivity CMOS sensor developed by the company has enabled the video recording across a wide 3.3° x 3.3° field of view of meteors with an equivalent apparent magnitude of 10.*1 The sensor, with a chip size measuring 202 x 205 mm, the world's largest*2 surface area for a CMOS sensor, was installed in the Schmidt telescope at the University of Tokyo's Kiso Observatory, Institute of Astronomy, School of Science (Kiso-gun, Nagano prefecture).

With a chip size of 202 x 205 mm, the ultra-large-scale, ultra-high-sensitivity CMOS sensor, developed by Canon last year, is among the largest that can be produced from an approximately 300-mm (12 inch) wafer.*2 The device is approximately 40 times the size of Canon's largest commercial CMOS sensor*3 and makes possible video recording in dark conditions with as little as 0.3 lux*4 of illumination. In January this year, the CMOS sensor was installed on the focal plane of the Kiso Observatory's 105 cm Schmidt telescope and used to record video at approximately 60 frames per second, resulting in the successful video recording of faint meteors with an equivalent apparent magnitude of 10 across a wide 3.3° x 3.3° field of view.

Detecting faint meteors with apparent magnitudes greater than 7 has proven difficult using conventional observation technologies, with sightings of meteors with an equivalent apparent magnitude of 10 limited to only 10 per year. However, video recorded using the ultra-large-scale, ultra-high-sensitivity CMOS sensor, combined with the Schmidt telescope, which enables observation across a wide field of view, yielded a one-minute segment during which more meteors with an equivalent apparent magnitude of 10 could be detected than could previously be identified during the span of a year.

Statistical analysis of the video data could lead to an increased understanding of the influence that meteors may have exerted on the development of life on Earth.

Additionally, because the combination of the CMOS sensor and Schmidt telescope facilitates the highly efficient investigation of objects traveling at high speeds across the sky, it makes possible the detection of an increased number of celestial phenomena in addition to meteors, such as space debris*5 and heavenly bodies moving in the solar system. Accordingly, the technology is expected to contribute to improved measuring accuracy in determining the position and speed of these objects.

Through the further development of distinctive CMOS image sensors, Canon will break new ground in the world of new image expression, in the areas of still images as well as video.

The results of the abovementioned observations will be presented at the Astronomical Society of Japan's autumn 2011 meeting, which will be held from September 19 (Mon.) to 22 (Thu.) at Kagoshima University in Kyushu, Japan.

*1
Apparent magnitude is a measure of a star's brightness as seen by an observer on Earth. The brighter the celestial body appears, the lower the value of its apparent magnitude. The darkest star visible to the naked eye has an apparent magnitude of approximately 6.
*2
As of September 12, 2011. Based on a Canon study.
*3
The approximately 21.1 megapixel 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor employed in the company's EOS-1Ds Mark III and EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR cameras.
*4
The level of brightness during a full moon.
*5
Refers to a variety of human-made debris in orbit around Earth, including artificial satellites and the rockets used to launch them into orbit.

佳能的超大規模，超高靈敏度CMOS傳感器使得具有同等視星等的流星的10個可能的寬視場的視圖錄像

東京，2011年9月15日，佳能公司今天宣布，超大規模，超高靈敏度 CMOS傳感器的開發，使公司在寬 3.3錄像 ° X 3.3 °的視場與流星等效視星等為 10 * 1的傳感器芯片測量 202 × 205毫米，是世界上最大的* 2的CMOS傳感器的表面面積的大小，被安裝在施密特望遠鏡在東京的木曾天文台大學，研究所天文科學學院（木曾郡，長野縣）。 


有了一個 202 × 205毫米，超大規模，超高靈敏度的CMOS傳感器，佳能公司去年開發，芯片尺寸，是其中的一條長約 300毫米（12英寸）晶圓可以生產最大* 2該設備約 40倍佳能最大的商業 CMOS傳感器 * 3大小，使得低至0.3勒克司的照度* 4在黑暗條件下可能的視頻錄製。今年一月，在CMOS傳感器安裝在木曾天文台105厘米施密特望遠鏡焦平面和用來記錄約每秒60幀的視頻，在微弱的流星成功的視頻錄製造成具有相當於 10視星等在寬 3.3 ° × 3.3 °的視場。 


檢測與大於 7已被證明難以用常規觀測技術與流星目擊與同等明顯的10只限於每年10級，視星淡淡的流星。然而，視頻記錄採用超大規模，超高靈敏度的CMOS傳感器，與施密特望遠鏡，它使橫跨寬廣的視野觀察相結合，產生了更多的流星在此期間，與同等明顯的一分鐘段10級可檢測可以比以前期間的一年跨度確定。 


的視頻數據的統計分析可能導致的是流星可能對地球上生命的發展施加影響的了解。 


另外，因為 CMOS傳感器和施密特望遠鏡的結合促進了在整個天空高速行駛的高效率的調查對象，它使可能的，除了諸如空間碎片* 5顆流星，一個天體現象增多檢測天體運動和太陽系中。因此，該技術預計將有助於確定這些​​對象的位置和速度，提高了測量精度。 


通過獨特的CMOS圖像傳感器的進一步發展，佳能公司將打破世界的新形象表達新局面，在靜止圖像和視頻領域。 


對上述觀測結果將發表在日本的2011年秋季會議，這將在鹿兒島大學在日本九州9月19日（星期一）至22日（星期四）天文學會。 


* 1 
視星等是一個恆星的亮度由地球上的觀察者看到的措施。在明亮的天體出現，降低其視星等的價值。最黑暗的恆星，肉眼可見具有明顯的規模約為 6。 
* 2 
截至2011年9月12日。基於佳能的研究。 
* 3 
約 21.1萬像素35毫米全畫幅 CMOS傳感器受聘於該公司的EOS - 1Ds的馬克 III和EOS 5D Mark II數碼單反相機。 
* 4 
在滿月的亮度水平。 
* 5 
指的是人類製造的各種碎片在繞地球軌道，其中包括人工衛星和用於發射的火箭送入軌道它們。

資料來源:CANON