A type of digital image sensor that converts light into electrical signals using silicon photodiodes, offering lower power consumption and faster readout speeds than CCDs. CMOS sensors allow individual pixel access and on-chip processing, making them ideal for high-speed astronomical applications and large format cameras.
A technical acronym describing the semiconductor fabrication process using complementary pairs of metal-oxide field-effect transistors. Developed in the 1960s for computer chips, 'complementary' refers to using both positive and negative charge carriers, while 'metal-oxide-semiconductor' describes the layered structure of the transistors.
CMOS sensors are taking over astronomy because they're like having a tiny computer at every pixel - each photosite can be read independently and processed on-chip, enabling incredible new capabilities like real-time cosmic ray rejection and ultra-fast frame rates! While CCDs dominated astronomy for 30 years, modern CMOS sensors are now sensitive enough to detect single photons while reading out thousands of times faster.
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