A breakthrough in ground-based imaging
A new algorithm called ImageMM has the potential to narrow the gap between ground-based and space-based telescopes by removing the blurring effects of Earth’s atmosphere. Developed by Johns Hopkins mathematician Yashil Sukurdeep, the method has successfully completed tests on a large eight-meter telescope located on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea. The next step is applying ImageMM to data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which is set to begin science operations later this year.
How ImageMM works
ImageMM relies on the Majorization–Minimization (MM) framework to model how light travels through the atmosphere and then reconstructs a sharper image from a sequence of imperfect observations. Sukurdeep explains that the atmosphere is “a restless sheer curtain” that constantly shifts, creating blur. The algorithm learns to see past that curtain and recover a near-perfect image hidden behind it.
Key features
- Models atmospheric distortions to deblur images
- Combines multiple observations to improve pixel values and fill in missing data
- Targets the Dawes limit by approaching the telescope’s theoretical resolution
From Subaru to Rubin Observatory
So far tested on the Subaru telescope, ImageMM produced sharper, more detailed images than previously possible. The Rubin Observatory, with its wide field of view of 3.5 degrees—about seven full moons across—offers a different challenge and enormous potential. One science goal for Rubin is mapping the distribution of dark matter by measuring weak gravitational lensing, where mass distribution subtly warps galaxy images. By sharpening Rubin’s data, ImageMM can improve measurements of these tiny distortions, leading to more precise maps of dark matter.
Expert insights and expectations
“For billion-dollar ground-based observatories, even small gains in depth and quality can be transformative,” notes Tamás Budavári of Johns Hopkins University. Sukurdeep adds that, while space telescopes still deliver higher image quality, their narrower fields of view limit their reach. Rubin’s 3.5-degree field means that a sharpening technique like ImageMM could yield a practical, near-space-quality view over much larger swaths of the sky. “We’ll never have ground truth, but this is as close as we get to perfect ground-based imaging,” Sukurdeep says.
Looking ahead
As ImageMM moves from Subaru to Rubin Observatory, astronomers anticipate more accurate weak-lensing measurements, refined galaxy morphology studies, and faster discovery rates across wide swaths of the sky. The collaboration between mathematical innovation and astronomical instrumentation could redefine how we study the cosmos from the ground, bringing space-level sharpness to a telescope with a field of view that covers an entire celestial panorama.
