It's true that the very best pictures still require large observatories on the ground or in space, but even holding your smartphone to the eyepiece of a consumer-grade telescope can yield images that only a few decades ago would have been the envy of all the world's astronomers.
Astronomers, it turns out, were among the first to develop and realize the power of digital cameras.
...basic research that may not seem intended to have practical applications, can eventually change the world in ways nobody could have anticipated.
Professional astronomers used similar techniques back then, but instead of flexible plastic film, they preferred glass plates with light-sensitive material sprayed onto one side.
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