In 1930, Bernhard Schmidt from Naissaar developed an optical system, the so-called Schmidt camera. The invention made it possible to obtain flawless images of large areas of the sky. Since the invention was completed during the great global economic crisis, it did not immediately find wider application. In 1935, Berchard Schmidt died without seeing the great success of his invention.

The invention became famous 15 years after its development and 10 years after the inventor's death, when Schmidt's camera was put into use at the Mount Palomar Observatory in the United States. This step led to a revolution in optical astronomy, as the Schmidt telescope could be used to view and photograph very large areas of the universe, and enabled the creation of modern precise celestials. The Schmidt camera is one of the most famous optical systems of the 20th century.