A project to develop a promising new astronomy imaging technique that can also denude a fully clothed human or see through thick fog has generated its first picture.

A so-called T-ray image of a human hand, taken through a 1/2-inch (15 millimeter) pad of paper, is the first product of the new terahertz camera. The technology is poised to revolutionize imaging in astronomy, medicine and airport security, proponents say.

The technique employs a little-studied but ubiquitous radiation. Detecting T-rays allows a camera to effectively see through smoke, walls and even clothing or bandages.

Low frequency versions of terahertz waves are known as millimeter waves, and they behave much like radio waves. At higher frequencies, the terahertz waves straddle the border between radio and optical emissions. The technology is sometimes referred to as quasi-optics.

Similar but less sensitive technology is already used to examine sea-surface temperatures from satellites. A future T-ray observatory might study the tails of comets, experts say, and the frequency could also shed new light on the early universe and how the first galaxies formed.

"Observations from space may be on the verge of a revolution with the possibility of looking into the terahertz frequency range," said Peter de Maagt, project manager for StarTiger, which stands for Space Technology Advancements by Resourceful, Targeted and Innovative Groups of Experts and Researchers.

Few formal studies of T-ray technology exist, but an article on the Web site of the journal Nature last year said these cameras could be "the next big wave" in imaging for everything from cells to stars. Scientists at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York claim T-ray technology will speed computer memory and sharpen flat-panel displays.

To develop the technology quickly, StarTiger was created by the ESA. The project brought a group of researchers together for a few months, provided ample money and facilities, and encouraged development of new technology in a short period of time. The researchers started in June, created their first T-ray image last fall, and released one this week.

"When we started last June we set an ambitious goal: to build in four months the first compact submillimeter-wave imager with near real time image capturing using state-of-the-art micro-machining technology," said de Maagt. "We reached this goal when the first terahertz images were taken in September."

Terahertz waves are unique because they can pass easily through some solid materials, yet they can also be focused as light to create images of objects behind the obscuring material.

Terahertz imaging may soon become a standard medical diagnostic technique, researchers with StarTiger say. T-rays could provide an image that has X-ray-like properties without the use of potentially harmful radiation. It might be particularly useful to augment dental X-rays and for possible early detection of skin cancers.

Pilots might one day use terahertz imagers to generate a picture of what's ahead in heavy fog, StarTiger officials say. A higher resolution imager than currently developed would be needed for such a view.

The newly developed device is small enough to fit in a briefcase. A future version might one day be deployed to space to examine the early universe. If money were provided, a space-based T-ray camera could be deployed in two years, a StarTiger scientist said.