Schmidt camera

A Schmidt camera, also referred to as the Schmidt telescope, is a <a href="/facts/Catadioptric/vzJ2FulL">catadioptric</a> <a href="/facts/Astrophotography/NeWNUJEn">astrophotographic</a> <a href="/facts/Optical_telescope/dVfBR10I">telescope</a> designed to provide wide <a href="/facts/Field_of_view/Xp1G4CXF">fields of view</a> with limited <a href="/facts/Aberration_in_optical_systems/YIqd9cA8">aberrations</a>. The design was invented by <a href="/facts/Bernhard_Schmidt/QFErKsdX">Bernhard Schmidt</a> in 1930.
Some notable examples are the <a href="/facts/Samuel_Oschin_telescope/D8VkGsHW">Samuel Oschin telescope</a> (formerly Palomar Schmidt), the <a href="/facts/UK_Schmidt_Telescope/IVjpFkvW">UK Schmidt Telescope</a> and the ESO Schmidt; these provided the major source of all-sky photographic imaging from 1950 until 2000, when electronic detectors took over. A recent example is the <a href="/facts/Kepler_space_telescope/E485cUts">Kepler space telescope</a> exoplanet finder.
Other related designs are the <a href="/facts/Wright_camera/2Veeaxo5">Wright camera</a> and <a href="/facts/Lurie%25E2%2580%2593Houghton_telescope/PFaXdcWL">Lurie–Houghton telescope</a>.

Schmidt camera open-in-new

Schmidt camera