Speaker
Description
The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) is a next-generation imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope (IACT) array that will improve upon the current sensitivity to very-high-energy gamma rays by an order of magnitude. Featuring a high-resolution silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) camera and innovative dual-mirror optics, the Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (SCT) is a candidate design for a CTAO medium-sized telescope (MST). Inaugurated in 2019 at Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Arizona, the prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (pSCT) detected the Crab Nebula in 2020 with a partially populated focal plane. The pSCT camera is currently undergoing an upgrade to fully instrument the 8-degree wide field-of-view (FoV) with improved modules. Laboratory characterization of the upgraded camera modules has demonstrated that they have low electronics noise and crosstalk, resulting in excellent charge resolution and a low trigger threshold. First light with a single sector of upgraded modules occurred in April 2026, followed by a several night observing campaign of Markarian 421 in April 2026. We will discuss the first results from this observing campaign.