An electronic light detector that converts photons into electrical signals by storing charge in an array of pixels, then transferring this charge sequentially to create a digital image. CCDs revolutionized astronomy by being far more sensitive than photographic film and providing linear response to light intensity.
Named for its mechanism of transferring electrical charge between coupled capacitors, from 'charge' (Old French 'charger'), 'coupled' (Latin 'copula' for bond), and 'device' (Old French 'devis'). Invented at Bell Labs in 1969 for telecommunications, CCDs were quickly adopted by astronomers in the 1970s who recognized their revolutionary potential for detecting faint celestial objects.
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