A glass chip the size of a coin lets six telescopes see as one giant eye

Astronomers led by Heriot-Watt University have tested a photonic chip — tiny channels etched into glass with an ultrafast laser — that combines light from all six telescopes of the CHARA Array in California into a single, sharper view of the stars. Published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, the work shows the palm-sized chip replacing bulky mirror-and-lens instruments, detecting fainter stars than its predecessor, and ready to be swapped out within hours when a better design comes along.

SDG 9 · Industry, innovation and infrastructure — Mechanism: tech innovation