Chasing Cosmic Pixels

Event Image
Chasing Cosmic Pixels graphic

What happens when cameras are pushed beyond Earth—and beyond their limits? In this special RIT event, NASA astronaut Donald Pettit and Phantom Camera imaging expert Kyle Gilroy take students inside the technical challenges of capturing images in space, where digital camera sensors are constantly damaged by cosmic radiation.

This talk will center on how radiation alters image data aboard the International Space Station, creating persistent “bad” pixels and visual artifacts, and how experts like Gilroy first learn to understand what an image is telling them before attempting to repair it. From diagnosing sensor damage to reconstructing usable data, this is a rare opportunity to see how real-world imaging problems are solved at the highest level.  If you’re interested in imaging technology, physics, engineering, filmmaking, or scientific visualization, this is a rare chance to hear directly from experts working at the edge of what cameras can handle.  Don't miss it!


Contact
Eva Sarachan-Dubay
This event may be photographed/videoed by RIT. By attending, you grant Rochester Institute of Technology (“RIT”) permission to use photographs and/or audio-visual recordings in which you appear, now and in the future, for illustration, promotion, art, editorial, advertising, and trade, or any other purpose.
Event Snapshot
When and Where
March 25, 2026
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Room/Location: Wegmans
Who

Open to the Public

Interpreter Requested?

No

Topics
creativity and innovation
research
technology, the arts, and design