It's full of stars! NASA's planet-hunting TESS probe sends back its first test image

[bronxiteforever]

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One month after its launch, NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite has sent back an initial test image that shows more than 200,000 stars in the southern sky.

TESS’ image was taken by one of its cameras with a two-second exposure. The picture is centered on the constellation Centaurus, with the edge of the dark Coalsack Nebula at upper right and the star Beta Centauri prominent along the lower edge.

https://www.geekwire.com/2018/full-stars-nasas-tess-planet-hunting-probe-sends-back-first-test-image/

[AJT]

1. Wow. Beautiful.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Absolutely overwhelming. n/t

[populistdriven]

3. picture this image as the long side of a sheet of paper held at arms length

Last edited Sun May 20, 2018, 05:18 PM - Edit history (2)

I found out the specifics of the TESS images:

Only 1 camera was used to snap that image
Each camera has a fixed 24° × 24° field of view,...
The TESS cameras have a focal ratio of f/1.4
The cameras actually take images every 2 seconds.

So that is a single image shot from a single camera with a 2 second exposure covering a 24° field of view

In comparison Hubble's wide field cameras field of view was only 160 arcseconds or 600 times narrower.

24° can be visualized as the length of sheet of paper (letter or A4) held at arms length.

[populistdriven]

4. they doctored it, here is the real image it sent back:

[lastlib]

8. I F&ucking Love Science!!

Just. Effin'. WOW!!!

[luc mont]

5. Bravo!

Yes, I am a space nerd.

[BobTheSubgenius]

6. The cosmos just makes my brain reel.

The scope of it is so far beyond my comprehension.

[3Hotdogs]

7. --- the number of stars and the distance between those stars ---