Speed Reading — Digital Cameras - Level 6 — 500 wpm

Now do this put-the-text-back-together activity.


This is the text (if you need help).

The world's largest ever digital camera has become operational in an observatory in Chile. The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope camera was funded by U.S. government agencies. The enormous device was installed in the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in the South American nation. Astronomers will now commence a period of testing. They will use the camera to observe the southern hemisphere skies over the next decade. The Department of Energy's Office of Science commented on how momentous the completion of the telescope was. It called the camera "a triumph of science and engineering". It added: "We look forward to seeing the unprecedented images this camera will produce."

The camera is the size of a small car and weighs 2,721 kg. It has a massive 3-billion-pixel sensor. In comparison, today's top-of-the-range smartphone cameras have 200 million pixels. Astronomers will repeatedly scan the sky to take time-lapse images of space. Lead researcher Aaron Roodman said: "We like to say that we're going to make a colour movie of the entire Southern Hemisphere sky." In particular, he hopes to capture images that will shed light on how galaxies formed. Roodman's team will also investigate dark matter – the invisible substance that makes up a significant portion of the universe. In addition, the camera will map our Milky Way galaxy in greater detail than ever before.

Comprehension questions
  1. Who was the digital camera funded by?
  2. What will stargazers now start?
  3. For how long will astronomers use the camera to look into space?
  4. What did the U.S. government say the telescope was a triumph of?
  5. What does the government department look forward to seeing?
  6. How big is the camera?
  7. How many pixels does the camera's sensor have?
  8. What kind of images will the camera take?
  9. What does the researcher hope the camera will shed light on?
  10. What will the camera help to map?

Back to the digital camera lesson.

More Activities