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adaptiveoptics.org provides news and information for the world-wide adaptive optics community. Contact: webmaster@adaptiveoptics.org. News
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Pasadena, California – August 20, 2007:
The
California Institute of Technology
and the Regents of the
University of California
have each received $7.5 million in additional funding from the
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
for the development of the
Thirty-Meter Telescope.
The
TMT
is being developed by a U.S.-Canadian team with construction anticipated to begin in April 2009.
The new grants augment the $64 million already planned for the design development phase of the
TMT
project,
which included $35 million previously awarded to
Caltech
and
UC
by the
Moore Foundation.
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With the
TMT,
astronomers will be able to analyze the light from the first stars born after the Big Bang,
directly observe the formation and evolution of galaxies, see planets around nearby stars,
and make observations that test fundamental laws of physics.
"This new award from the Moore Foundation will enable us to reach construction readiness, and will also initiate industrial production capabilities for the primary segments of the telescope," says Project Manager Gary Sanders. The TMT is now at the stage of detailed design. When completed it will be the world's largest telescope. It consists of a primary mirror with 492 individual |
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The
TMT
will not only be the largest optical telescope in the world,
but will also be at the forefront of technology in virtually every aspect of its design.
Adaptive optics (AO) will allow the
TMT
to achieve a resolution comparable to a space telescope.
Because
TMT
project engineers are integrating this system
with the designs for eight science instruments,
the power of the AO system should be available
at the beginning of the telescope's operations in 2016.
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An artist rendering of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project,
which is currently in the preliminary design phase.
The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project is a collaboration between the University of California, the Associated Universities for Research in Astronomy, and the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy, and Caltech.
Image: © Thirty-Meter Telescope Project
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The baseline AO system for the
TMT
involves six laser beams
launched from a small telescope from the top of the structure
that supports the telescope's secondary mirror.
These laser beams create a luminous spot in
a layer of sodium atoms high in Earth's upper atmosphere,
providing artificial points of light analogous to distant stars.
These pointlike laser illuminated spots drift and wobble just like starlight,
giving the AO system reference points to use anywhere in the sky
as it compensates for distortions of starlight by Earth's fluctuating atmosphere.
This technology has been pioneered at the
Lick Observatory,
and by the
Gemini Observatory
8-meter telescopes,
and the
Keck Observatory
10-meter telescopes.
Much of the TMT's scientific work will be done in the infrared, where the best resolution is easier to attain, young stars and galaxies are to be found, and the opportunities for new discoveries are abundant. The TMT project is studying five high sites in Chile, Hawaii, and Mexico as possible locations for the telescope, with site selection planned for May 2008. Three reviews by an independent panel evaluated all aspects of the project, including its optical design, the telescope structure and its enclosure, science instrumentation, site testing, management, and cost estimate procedures. The panel reached positive conclusions about the level of design development and the prospect for construction readiness by April 2009. Previous News: About the Thirty Meter Telescope:
The
TMT
is a collaboration of the
California Institute of Technology,
the
University of California,
the
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc.,
and the
Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy (ACURA),
with significant work being done by industry and by university teams studying instrument designs.
The project office is in Pasadena, California.
About the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation:
The
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation,
established in 2000,
seeks to advance environmental conservation and cutting-edge scientific research
around the world and improve the quality of life in the
San Francisco Bay Area.
The foundation has committed $300 million in potential grants over 10 years to the
California Institute of Technology
to support the institution in maintaining its position
at the forefront of higher science and technology education and research.
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Full Press Release
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© 2007 |
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