Researchers at Northwestern University and Tsinghua University have adapted a computer-vision algorithm to improve blur removal of astronomical images.<\/h2>\n

Earth\u2019s atmosphere blurs images obtained even by the world\u2019s best ground-based telescopes due to shifting pockets of air. Although the blur seems harmless, it obscures the shapes of objects in astronomical images, which can lead to error-filled physical measurements that are essential for understanding the nature of our Universe. To overcome this, researchers at Northwestern University and Tsinghua University have adapted a well-known computer-vision algorithm used for sharpening photos, and applied it to astronomical images from ground-based telescopes<\/a> for the first time.<\/p>\n

The AI algorithm was also trained on data simulated to match the Vera C Rubin Observatory\u2019s imaging parameters, so the tool will be instantly compatible when the observatory opens next year.<\/p>\n

The adapted computer-vision algorithm works much faster than the currently used technologies and produces more realistic images.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhotography\u2019s goal is often to get a pretty, nice-looking image,\u201d said Northwestern\u2019s Emma Alexander, the study\u2019s senior author. \u201cBut astronomical images are used for science. By cleaning up images in the right way, we can get more accurate data. The algorithm removes the atmosphere computationally, enabling physicists to obtain better scientific measurements. At the end of the day, the images do look better as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The research, \u2018Galaxy image deconvolution for weak gravitational lensing with unrolled plug-and-play ADMM,\u2019 is published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.<\/em><\/p>\n

Why does Earth\u2019s atmosphere distort astronomical images?<\/h3>\n

The light emanating from distant stars, planets, and galaxies travels through Earth\u2019s atmosphere before it hits our eyes. The atmosphere blocks certain wavelengths of light and even distorts light before it can reach Earth. Clear night skies also affect light passing through it. That is why the best ground-based telescopes are located at high altitudes where the atmosphere is the thinnest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bit like looking up from the bottom of a swimming pool,\u201d Alexander said. \u201cThe water pushes light around and distorts it. The atmosphere is, of course, much less dense, but it\u2019s a similar concept.\u201d<\/p>\n

The blur can affect the ability to extract cosmological data<\/h3>\n

By studying the shape of galaxies, scientists can detect the gravitational effects of large-scale cosmological structures, which bend light on its way to our planet. This can cause an elliptical galaxy to appear rounder or more stretched than it really is. The atmospheric blur can warp the galaxy\u2019s shape. Thus, removing the blur allows scientists to collect accurate shape data.<\/p>\n