Scientists reveal the world's largest digital camera!

giant-digital-camera.Image source, Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/@SLAClab/Twitter
Image caption,

The digital camera is about the size of a small car

Taking pictures has never been easier, with modern smartphones allowing tiny cameras to be on hand in our pockets and bags at all times.

However, scientists at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California have been looking at the devices from a completely different angle.

They've revealed what's believed to be the world's largest digital camera.

Standing at a massive 1.65 metres tall and three metres in length, it's certainly an impressive sight!

Image source, Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/@SLAClab/Twitter
Image caption,

The camera will be transported to Chile in 2024

The monster camera is yet to be completed, but it's hoped that by the end of 2024, it'll be taken to the Vera C Rubin Observatory in Chile where it will be placed on top of the Cerro Pachón mountain.

At it's new home, the mega camera will be tasked with observing the many wonders of the night sky over the next 10 years as part of a special project known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

Researchers hope the data collected by the camera will provide more information about the universe, including how galaxies came to be and the mysteries surrounding dark matter.

What else do we know about the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera?

Image source, Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/@SLAClab/Twitter

The LSST camera is about the size of a small car, weighing in at a hefty 2800kg.

The camera boasts a lens measuring 1.57 metres across, making it the largest of its kind ever created. It's even been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records!

The device has 189 sensors in total, with each one containing more pixels then the latest iPhone.

The camera has a whopping 3.2 gigapixels in total, which can snap pictures with such high resolution that it will be able to spot particles of dust on the Moon.