Even the most advanced terrestrial telescopes suffer from myopia. Rather than a telescope performance problem, it is caused by the Earth’s atmosphere, which is constantly changing and obstructs the view. Although it is an obstacle for ordinary telescopes, it is a more serious problem for astronomy researchers, whose life is an accurate picture. However, open-source vision AI algorithms and telescope technology have made it possible to observe the universe more elaborately than now.
Researchers from Northwestern University and Tsinghua University published this month in the Monthly Bulletin of the Royal Astronomical Society how AI can improve observational skills. The AI was trained with data predicting parameters to be observed at the soon-to-be-opened Vera C Rubin Observatory in north-central Chile. Similar technologies already exist, but they do not perform as well as the newer technologies.
Emma Alexander, a researcher in computer science at Northwestern University, said, “When you take pictures, the goal is usually to get pretty, cool images. But in astronomy, you take pictures for science.” If Alexander cleans up the image data accurately, she can get more accurate data, she explains. Physicists get better samples thanks to AI algorithms helping the process.
A prettier Milky Way portrait is also a more reliable source of research. For example, galaxy analysis can determine the gravitational effects of objects in space. Using low-resolution techniques or images that have been blurred through atmospheric interference reduces the reliability and accuracy of scientists. The researchers claim that the AI tool they published showed regarding 38% better performance than the classical method and regarding 7% more performance than the state-of-the-art method.
The researchers released the resulting AI tool and how-to guide online for free. Any interested astronomer can download the algorithm to get improved data.
“We put this tool into the hands of astronomy experts,” Alexander said. “It can be a valuable resource for astronomical investigations to obtain accurate data.”
When the Rubin Observatory officially opens in 2024, we can expect more detailed cosmic images than ever before.
