World's Most Advanced Mirror Completed for the Giant Magellan Telescope

03/07/2013 09:33PM

World's Most Advanced Mirror Completed for the Giant Magellan Telescope

The first mirror for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) has been completed. This 8.4-meter (27.5-foot) mirror is the most challenging large astronomical mirror ever made. Scheduled to become operational in the next decade, GMT will be the first in a new generation of giant telescopes to explore the nature of dark matter and dark energy, and glimpse the formation and evolution of extrasolar planets, stars, galaxies, and black holes. The GMT will peer more deeply into the universe's hidden history than humans have ever attempted. The instrument's combined mirrors will be sensitive enough to detect a candle on the moon, or to see the face on a dime 200 miles away.


Comments:

  • wcarter3 [William Carter]
  • 03/10/2013 07:04PM
Thank you for the fascinating article on the GMT mirrors. It is great to see that private institutions and universities are still committed to building new instruments to pursue scientific knowledge. I am so tired of reading about NSF budget cuts. Great job.<br><br>Bill Carter