An Ultrahigh-Sensitivity Color HDTV Camera for Shooting Heavenly Bodies

An ultrahigh-sensitivity color high-definition television (HDTV) camera that consists of three proximity-focused image intensifier tubes of large image size (useful area: 40mm diameter) and three frame interline transfer (FIT) charge-coupled devices (CCDs) of 2/3-in. 2M pixels has been developed. The images are relayed by high-quality lenses with a reducing power of 1/3.6. The camera's sensitivity is 3000 times higher than that of a conventional HDTV CCD camera; it can take rare shots of a meteor from the ground and video images of the various hues of celestial bodies by means of an advanced astronomical telescope.