Google's former CEO Eric Schmidt has announced a massive investment in four new telescopes, which will collectively be known as the Schmidt Observatory System. The project is being funded by Schmidt and his wife Wendy, who have pledged to contribute significantly to the astronomical community.
The most intriguing aspect of this initiative is the development of a space-based telescope named Lazuli, which aims to replace the 30-year-old Hubble Space Telescope. This spacecraft will offer astronomers a more capable and modern version of the iconic instrument, with a larger mirror diameter of 3.1 meters and an elliptical orbit that will provide clearer views than current telescopes.
Lazuli is not the only innovative telescope in the Schmidt Observatory System. Three ground-based telescopes are also part of the project: Argus Array, DSA radio telescope, and LFAST. These instruments utilize recent advances in computing power, storage, and AI processing to analyze vast amounts of data.
The Argus Array, an array of 1,200 telescopes with 11-inch mirrors, will mimic the effect of an 8-meter optical telescope by imaging the entire Northern Hemisphere sky every second. In contrast, DSA radio telescope will be an array of 1,600 radio dishes in a valley in Nevada. LFAST, on the other hand, will conduct scalable, large-aperture spectroscopy and search for biosignatures on other worlds.
Schmidt Sciences, a philanthropic organization led by Wendy Schmidt, will act as the overall integrator and manager of the Lazuli project, while Observable Space will build the Argus Array telescopes. The plan is to freely and openly share data from all four telescopes, with an open competition for the best scientific ideas and observations.
The Schmidt Observatory System has significant potential to advance our understanding of the universe, and Eric Schmidt's contribution is indeed a very significant one. With its commitment to open science and open data, this project will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on astronomy and astrophysics.
The most intriguing aspect of this initiative is the development of a space-based telescope named Lazuli, which aims to replace the 30-year-old Hubble Space Telescope. This spacecraft will offer astronomers a more capable and modern version of the iconic instrument, with a larger mirror diameter of 3.1 meters and an elliptical orbit that will provide clearer views than current telescopes.
Lazuli is not the only innovative telescope in the Schmidt Observatory System. Three ground-based telescopes are also part of the project: Argus Array, DSA radio telescope, and LFAST. These instruments utilize recent advances in computing power, storage, and AI processing to analyze vast amounts of data.
The Argus Array, an array of 1,200 telescopes with 11-inch mirrors, will mimic the effect of an 8-meter optical telescope by imaging the entire Northern Hemisphere sky every second. In contrast, DSA radio telescope will be an array of 1,600 radio dishes in a valley in Nevada. LFAST, on the other hand, will conduct scalable, large-aperture spectroscopy and search for biosignatures on other worlds.
Schmidt Sciences, a philanthropic organization led by Wendy Schmidt, will act as the overall integrator and manager of the Lazuli project, while Observable Space will build the Argus Array telescopes. The plan is to freely and openly share data from all four telescopes, with an open competition for the best scientific ideas and observations.
The Schmidt Observatory System has significant potential to advance our understanding of the universe, and Eric Schmidt's contribution is indeed a very significant one. With its commitment to open science and open data, this project will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on astronomy and astrophysics.
I'm definitely excited about this initiative, but I gotta wonder how we're gonna make sure all these telescopes are actually accessible to researchers who don't have millions of bucks to throw around 
. And what's with the whole "open competition" thing? Sounds like a great idea on paper, but I worry it might lead to some weird politics and favoritism getting in the way 
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). And I love that Wendy Schmidt's org is all about sharing data and making science more open. That's exactly what we need more of 
. But let's not get ahead of ourselves – we gotta make sure these new telescopes are actually used to make some real discoveries, not just a bunch of PR fluff 
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! He's basically investing all his wealth into space exploration 
and it's gonna be HUGE 
! Not only is he funding these insane telescopes, but also making the data freely available for everyone to use 
. This is exactly what we need more of - collaboration and sharing in science. It's so refreshing to see someone with his resources going all out for the greater good 
. I mean, who needs personal gain when you can have a better understanding of the universe? The future of astronomy looks BRIGHT 
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and i love how schmidt sciences is committed to sharing data openly, that's like, the future of science 
we might just discover somethin crazy with this observatory system 
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. And what's up with the open data policy? Is this just a PR stunt to make them look like heroes of the people? 
We should be scrutinizing this more closely than just saying "oh, look at all that cool tech" 
Imagine having an army of tiny telescopes (Argus Array) imaging the entire sky every second 
. It's like having a superpower 
! And with Lazuli, we're getting a space-based telescope that's 3x bigger than Hubble 
. The fact that they're sharing data openly is genius 
I'm curious to see what kind of discoveries come out of this system... could we uncover new life forms out there in space? 
but I gotta wonder how they're gonna make sure all these telescopes are working together seamlessly? Like, with so many different types of tech involved, it's bound to be a logistical nightmare 
. And what's up with the data sharing thing? Are we talking open-source or more like open-access? 
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... who needs NASA when you've got Eric Schmidt footing the bill? 
The idea of having a whole array of 1,200 telescopes imaging the Northern Hemisphere every second is mind-blowing... I'm excited to see what kind of discoveries they'll make.
This initiative is just amazing because it brings together some of the most brilliant minds in astronomy to tackle the biggest questions we still have. And I love that Eric Schmidt and his wife are leading the charge - it shows you don't need to be a scientist to make a difference 
I mean, we're still learning so much from Hubble and it'll be awesome to have some new gear to play with 
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. And can we talk about the Argus Array? 1,200 telescopes in one go? That's wild 
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. Can't they just stick with one type and make it better instead of trying to reinvent the wheel? And what's up with the 'open competition for the best scientific ideas' 
? Just another way for the privileged few to get ahead, if you ask me.
. This isn't exactly groundbreaking news...