Construction just broke ground on the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). When finished, it’ll be the largest in the world, and up to 10x sharper than Hubble.
Leading scientists, senior officials, and supporters from an international consortium of universities and research institutions are gathering on a remote mountaintop high in the Chilean Andes today to celebrate groundbreaking for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT).
Images credit GMT
The ceremony marks the commencement of on-site construction of the telescope and its support base. The GMT is poised to become the world’s largest telescope when it begins early operations in 2021. It will produce images ten times sharper than those delivered by the Hubble Space Telescope and will address key questions in cosmology, astrophysics and the study of planets outside our solar system.
Board Chair, and Director of the McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Taft Armandroff, said:
“We are thrilled to be breaking ground on the Giant Magellan Telescope site at such an exciting time for astronomy. With its unprecedented size and resolving power, the Giant Magellan Telescope will allow current and future generations of astronomers to continue the journey of cosmic discovery.”
The GMT will be located at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Known for its clear, dark skies and outstanding astronomical image clarity, Las Campanas is one of the world’s premier locations for astronomy. Construction crews will soon be busy on the site building the roads, power, data, and other infrastructure needed to support the observatory.
source GMT
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