The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) features some of the largest mirrors ever
What is known about the new telescope?
«Гигантский Магелланов телескоп» принципиально differs from the Hubble and James Webb - it is a ground-based observatory. According to the plan, construction will be completed in the mid-2020s, and the first measurements will start in 2029.
Source: Giant Magellan Telescope
As a light collecting element there will bea system of seven primary mirrors with a diameter of 8.4 m and a weight of 20 tons each was used. To date, these are the largest mirrors in history. For comparison, Webb is now considered the largest space telescope with the largest mirror (it is segmented and has a total diameter of 6.5 m). However, the largest monolithic mirror ever launched into space by mankind is that of the Herschel telescope, its diameter is 3.5 m.
What is happening with the telescope now?
The Magellan telescope recently receivedadditional funding - $ 205 million. The goal is to speed up construction. The project received funding from a worldwide consortium, including the Carnegie Institute of Science, Harvard University, the So Paulo Research Foundation, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Universities of Arizona and Chicago. This round of joint investment is one of the largest since the creation of a ground-based observatory.
The money will be invested in the creation of a massive 12-storytelescope design in 2025, improvements to the telescope's seven primary mirrors in the laboratory of Richard F. Caris at the University of Arizona, and construction of one of the most technologically sophisticated scientific spectrographs at the University of Texas.
Funding approved after Giant assessmentMagellan Telescope as a key partner in the U.S. Extremely Large Telescope Program of the National Academy of Sciences' Astro2020 Decadal Survey.
Comparison with the Webb Telescope
"Giant Magellan Telescope"being built at the Carnegie Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, larger than any previous optical telescope. It will allow astronomers to look further into space and see the picture more clearly. In addition to being 200 times more powerful than modern research observatories, Magellan's light collection area will be 10 times larger than Webb's. And spatial resolution is four times.
What is he capable of?
The Magellan telescope will provide unprecedentedpictures of space. All thanks to extraordinary angular resolution, advanced spectrography and high-contrast cameras. The next step in understanding the physics and chemistry of the smallest light sources in space that Webb will detect will be the Magellan telescope.
Comparison of image quality of a small areasky as observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (left), and a simulated image from the Giant Magellan Telescope using adaptive optics to achieve diffraction-limited visibility from the ground (right).
Source: Giant Magellan Telescope
Among its tasks is the search for signs of extraterrestrial life.in the atmospheres of potentially habitable planets, studying the earliest galaxies, and gathering information that will solve the mysteries of dark matter, dark energy, black holes, and the creation of the universe itself.
Are we alone?
As Dr. Walter Massey noted,Chairman of the Board of Directors of Giant Magellan Telescope in a press release, “The Giant Magellan Telescope will “push the boundaries of astronomy, making the future a reality.”
“It will help answer science’s biggest questions, including whether we are alone in the Universe,” he added.
Source: Giant Magellan Telescope
Future space travel will also bemade possible by the Giant Magellan Telescope. The observatory, with a diameter of 25.4 meters, will provide the most complete picture of our Universe. Scientists will be able to learn more about the origin of the chemical elements of the cosmos, shed light on the mysteries of dark matter and confirm for the first time the presence of life on other worlds.
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