An image acquisition method includes defining a first optical sensor configuration of a matrix to acquire the image of a first celestial body of first nature, the first configuration having a plurality of unit pixels, defining at least one second optical sensor configuration of the matrix to acquire the image of the second celestial body of second nature, the second configuration having a plurality of macro-pixels formed by groupings of unit pixels, and selecting one of the optical sensor configurations, the selection being made according to the nature of the observed celestial body.

A lighting device produces scenic effects including a light source group; a light guide extending along a longitudinal axis and coupled to the light source assembly defining an optical path; a primary mirror arranged along the longitudinal axis facing the light source assembly to reflect the light beam from the light guide; and a secondary mirror facing the primary mirror to reflect the light beam reflected by the primary mirror towards an emission area surrounding the primary mirror, wherein a primary reflecting surface of the primary mirror has at least one first portion having a first hyperbolic shape or a first aspherical shape of even order and degree equal to or greater than four and a secondary reflecting surface of the secondary mirror has at least one second portion having a second hyperbolic shape or a second aspherical shape of even order and degree equal to or greater than four.

A system for outputting partially spatially coherent light to an imaging system is disclosed herein, which includes a spatially coherent light source configured to output a spatially coherent signal, at least one optical device having an optical device body with a first device surface formed thereon and configured to reflect a portion of the spatially coherent signal to form at least one coherent reflected signal. The optical device body also includes a second device surface having one or more surface irregularities configured to diffuse a portion of the spatially coherent light source output signal transmitted through the optical device body, to produce at least one spatially incoherent signal. The combination of the coherent reflected signal and the spatially incoherent signal form the partially spatially coherent light signal.

A flat-plate lens and an optical imaging system are provided. The flat-plate lens, includes a first face and a second face, the first face includes a ring-shaped light-transmitting region and a first reflective region surrounded by the ring-shaped light-transmitting region, and the second face includes an imaging region and a second reflective region surrounding the imaging region. The second reflective region is configured to reflect light to the first reflective region, and the first reflective region is configured to reflect light to the imaging region; the second reflective region includes a first mirror. The first mirror is one selected from the group consisting of a free-form curved mirror, an aspheric mirror and a spherical mirror, and the first reflective region includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a free-form curved mirror, an aspheric mirror, a spherical mirror and a plane mirror.

An optics system includes a convex catching mirror located within respect to the concave primary mirror to form an optical path for a field of view. A conical volume is formed with respect to the concave primary mirror and the convex catching mirror, the optical path not obstructed by the conical volume. A component within the conical volume.

A lighting device produces scenic effects including a light source group; a light guide extending along a longitudinal axis and coupled to the light source assembly defining an optical path; a primary mirror arranged along the longitudinal axis facing the light source assembly to reflect the light beam from the light guide; and a secondary mirror facing the primary mirror to reflect the light beam reflected by the primary mirror towards an emission area surrounding the primary mirror, wherein a primary reflecting surface of the primary mirror has at least one first portion having a first hyperbolic shape or a first aspherical shape of even order and degree equal to or greater than four and a secondary reflecting surface of the secondary mirror has at least one second portion having a second hyperbolic shape or a second aspherical shape of even order and degree equal to or greater than four.

Methods and devices for inter-spacecraft optical communication are described. The device includes a transmitter for generating a first multi-wavelength signal composed of a first set of wavelengths; a receiver for detecting a second multi-wavelength signal composed of a second set of wavelengths mutually exclusive from the first set of wavelengths; at least one first optical component configured for propagating the first multi-wavelength signal into free space and for capturing the second multi-wavelength signal from free space, the first and second multi-wavelength signals propagating collinearly in free space in opposite directions; and at least one second optical component coupled between the transmitter, the receiver, and the at least one first optical component, and configured for discriminating between the first multi-wavelength signal and the second multi-wavelength signal and redirecting the first multi-wavelength signal to the at least one first optical component and the second multi-wavelength signal to the receiver.

A telescope includes an initial telescope comprising a concave first mirror and a convex second mirror that are configured so that they form, from a light beam coming from infinity, an image called the intermediate image in a focal plane called the intermediate focal plane, the intermediate image having a largest dimension along an X-axis perpendicular to an optical axis of the telescope, a segmenting module comprising a first set of n segmenting mirrors that are placed downstream of the intermediate focal plane and that are configured to divide the intermediate image obtained from the intermediate focal plane into n sub-images, a second set of n refocusing mirrors that are configured to reimage the n sub-images into n images in a focal plane of the telescope, the images being arranged in the focal plane so as to decrease the dimension along X containing the n images, a detecting device placed in the focal plane.

The present invention provides a reflective condensing interferometer for focusing on a preset focus. The reflective condensing interferometer includes a concave mirror set, a convex mirror, a light splitting element, and a reflecting element. The concave mirror set has first and second concave surface portions which are oppositely located on two sides of a central axis passing through the preset focus and are concave on a surface facing the central axis and the preset focus. Light is preset to be incident in parallel to the central axis in use. The convex mirror is disposed between the concave mirror set and the preset focus on the central axis, and is convex away from the preset focus. The light splitting element vertically intersects with the central axis between the convex mirror and the preset focus. The reflecting element is disposed between the light splitting element and the convex mirror.

A system for measuring thermal degradation of composites includes a cylindrical body; a bottom cover having a lower central aperture; an upper concave mirror facing the bottom cover with an upper central orifice concentric with a central axis of the body; a lower concave mirror facing the upper concave mirror with a lower central orifice concentric with the central axis; a source of actinic radiation between the upper concave mirror and the lower concave mirror on the central axis to direct actinic radiation through the lower central orifice and lower central aperture; and a camera with an image sensor positioned concentrically relative to the upper central orifice; wherein the bottom cover is adjustable relative to the cylindrical body to provide a focusing function for the image sensor by varying the distance from the lower central orifice and the upper reflective surface.