Abstract

Low surface brightness (LSB) imaging can offer unique insights into the processes of galaxy formation by revealing signatures such as tidal tails, stellar streams & shells, dwarf galaxies and extended discs. Results from ground based LSB imaging projects such as Atlas-3D and the Dragonfly Telephoto Array have attracted a great deal of interest, and LSB optimised space telescopes such as the proposed MESSIER mission promise a dramatic new view of the sky. In this talk I present two LSB imaging projects from Australia, the Huntsman Telephoto Array and the Australian Space Eye. The first is a joint Macquarie University – Australian Astronomical Observatory project based on same concept as the Dragonfly Telephoto Array, i.e. using arrays of commercially available camera lenses and CCD cameras to construct an economical but highly effective LSB imaging system. The second is a proposed space telescope based on a CubeSat nano-satellite, measuring just 100×200 x 300 mm. The Australian Space Eye will carry an LSB optimised 90 mm diameter telescope for wide field i’ & z’ band imaging. This will enable measurements of the extragalactic background light at these wavelengths as well as LSB imaging of nearby galaxies to complement g’ and r’ band data obtained from the ground.