Astronomy

After more than a decade of preparation, the world’s most powerful telescope, known as Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) is now looking skyward with both of its massive eyes wide open.

Not only is it the largest binoculars but it also is the world’s most powerful telescope in the world. Located on a remote mountain top near Safford Arizona USA the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory has both mirrors come online recently. Each mirror measures 8.4-meter (27.6 feet) in diameter and weighing more than 35,000 pounds.

The two mirrors mounted side-by-side to produce the light gathering power equivalent to an 11.8-meter (39 foot) circular aperture. The mirrors which are lighter in weight than conventional solid-glass mirrors, due to their unique “honeycomb” structure, are now working in tandem and will be capable of operating as a single instrument. Ultimately, the interferometric combination of the light paths of the two primary mirrors will provide a resolution of a 22.8-meter (75 feet) telescope. With its capability, the LBT is the largest single telescope in the world.

  
(Courtesy: Large Binocular Telescope Observatory/Manuele Giallongo)

Using both LBT mirrors, these First Binocular Light images show these three false-color renditions of the spiral galaxy, NGC 2770. The galaxy lies 102 million light years from our Milky Way (a relatively close neighbor), and has a flat disk of stars and glowing gas, tipped slightly toward our line of sight. The first image combines ultraviolet and green light, and emphasizes the clumpy regions of newly formed hot stars in the spiral arms. The second image combines two deep red colors to highlight the smoother distribution of older, cooler stars. The third image displays ultraviolet, green, and deep red light in the same composite, showing the detailed structure of hot, moderate, and cool stars in the galaxy.

The $120 million dollar project has been in the works for more than 20 years. The primary mirror became operational in October 2005 with the panoramic (36 Mega pixel) CCD camera. The delivery of their second panoramic camera in November, 2007, allowed the opening of the second eye and completion of the engineering work required to achieve first binocular light.

More info can be found at the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory home page.

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