The Pasadena-based corporation working to build the Giant Magellan Telescope to expand humankind’s view into the universe announced a major step toward achieving its goal with the casting of the sixth of seven massive mirrors needed for the groundbreaking instrument, which is being constructed in Chile.
Like its counterparts, the mirror segment is 27.5 feet across and will be polished over the course of two years until the optical surface is smoothed to within “less than one thousandth of the width of a human hair or five times smaller than a single coronavirus particle,” GMTO Corporations said in a written statement. It was cast at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab
It is to be mated with the other mirrors and telescope components in the late-2020s at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, which provides an ideal spot for stargazing, according to GMTO Corporation.
The massive and highly precise light collecting mirrors makeup “the most important part of a telescope,” GMT Project Manager James Fanson said.
“The larger the mirror, the deeper we can see into the universe and the more detail we can observe,” he explained. “The Giant Magellan Telescope’s unique primary mirror design consists of seven of the world’s largest mirrors. Casting the sixth mirror is a major step toward completion.”
“Once operational, the Giant Magellan Telescope will produce images ten times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope,” according to Fanson. “The discoveries these mirrors will make will transform our understanding of the universe.”
Casting of each mirror “is considered a marvel of modern engineering and is usually celebrated with a large in-person event with attendees from all over the world,” according to the GMTO Corporation statement. “Due to the coronavirus pandemic, work on the sixth mirror began behind closed doors to protect the health of the 10-person mirror casting team at the lab.”
The telescope’s seventh and final mirror was expected to be cast in 2023, company representatives said. An extra mirror is also planned as a backup in case on of the seven primary mirrors required maintenance in the future.
Once operational, the GMT will be capable of spotting the torch engraved on a dime from 100 miles away, according to the company.
“Such viewing power is ten times greater than the famed Hubble Space Telescope and four times greater than the highly anticipated James Webb Space Telescope, expected to launch in late 2021,” the statement said.
GMT Chief Scientist Rebecca Bernstein said the new telescope represented an “unprecedented combination of light gathering power, efficiency and image resolution” will support many astronomical inquiries, such as the search for other planets that are similar to Earth.
“We will have unique capabilities for studying planets at high resolution, which is the key to understanding if a planet has a rocky composition like our Earth, if it contains liquid water, and if its atmosphere contains the right combination of molecules to signal the presence of life,” she said.
The telescope’s location in Chile’s Atacama Desert, which lies more than 8,200 feet above sea level, was selected because of its unique position to glimpse deep into our galaxy.
“The site is known for being one of the best astronomical sites on the planet, with its clear skies, low light pollution and stable airflow producing exceptionally sharp images,” the GMTO Corporation statement said.
“Additionally, the site’s southern hemisphere location gives the extremely large telescope access to the center of the Milky Way, which is of interest for many reasons, including the fact that it is the home to the nearest supermassive black hole, as well as many of the most interesting nearby galaxies,” the statement continued. “The southern hemisphere is also home to some of the most powerful observatories working at other wavelengths, making it the ideal location for synergistic scientific observations.”
GMTO Corporation carries out the development and operation of the Giant Magellan Telescope facility on behalf of a consortium of academic and research institutions.
More information on the Giant Magellan Telescope can be found online at GMTO Corporation’s website at https://www.gmto.org/
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One thought on “6th of 7 Mirrors Cast for Groundbreaking Giant Magellan Telescope”
I don’t understand what’s taking so long to cast the 7th and last mirror segment of the Magellan telescope? Can you use the same cast as the sixth mirror segment? Please, hurry!