About the Lightspeed Project

Lightspeed will be a multi-channel, high-speed astronomical imager for the Magellan Clay telescope. Using cutting-edge CMOS image sensors that achieve deep sub-electron read noise (DSERN), Lightspeed will allow for high-precision studies of the fastest optically variable sources in the sky, such as optical pulsars, flaring accretion disks, and small solar system objects occulting background stars.

In September 2025, proto-Lightspeed, a single-channel prototype for Lightspeed, was commissioned on the Magellan Clay telescope. proto-Lightspeed will be available as a P.I. instrument beginning in the 2026B observing cycle.

Core Lightspeed Team

• Kevin Burdge (PI, MIT)
• Chris Layden (MIT)
• Gabor Furesz (MIT)
• Juliana Garcia-Mejia (MIT)
• Roger Romani (Stanford)
• Jack Dinsmore (Stanford)
• Geoffrey Mo (Carnegie Science)
• David Osip (Carnegie Science)
• Jack Piotrowski (Carnegie Science)

Learn More

• proto-Lightspeed – Design and performance of the single-channel prototype
• Lightspeed – The planned five-channel facility instrument