Chile May Host World’s Biggest Telescope

[Judi Lynn]

Chile May Host World’s Biggest Telescope
Posted on: Saturday, 13 February 2010, 07:45 CST

An International group of four professional stargazers are backing Chile's Atacama Desert as the future home to the world's biggest telescope.

The telescope is on schedule to be built in 2018, and astronomers say Chile provides the perfect conditions due to its geographical advantages.

The experts say that because of its cloud-free skies 360 nights a year, the high-altitude Armazones mountains in northern Chilean desert is the perfect place for the European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT).

Each of the four astronomers were in the desert this week to evaluate its suitability compared to the main other contender, the Spanish isle of La Palma in the Canary Islands off western Africa.

More:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1822899/chile_may_host_worlds_biggest_telescope/index.html?source=r_space

http://www.letsgochile.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/norte_c_1.jpg

http://www.windows.ucar.edu.nyud.net:8090/physical_science/basic_tools/telescopes/images/eso_la_silla_atacama_big.jpg

[Cleita]

1. Great place for it. When I lived in the Atacama desert at 11,000 feet altitude,

one of my favorite past times was laying outside gazing at the star show at night, which is nothing like you see anywhere else. The stars and planets seemed so close that you felt like you could reach up and pluck them out of the sky.

[Vidar]

2. It would be a good choice.

[Ghost Dog]

3. Could the Extremely Large Telescope be built on European soil?

Jerzy Buzek, the president of the European Parliament, is backing plans to construct the European Extremely Large Telescope in the Canary Islands, Research Europe has learned.

...

A European Southern Observatory team is currently considering a number of sites for the project, including the Canary Islands, home to the European Northern Observatory, and Chile, where ESO's Southern Observatory is based. The group is due to report back to the ESO council during its meeting in March, although some believe it is unlikely that a final decision will be made on the spot. Meanwhile, a delegation from the European Parliament is to visit the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on 19 February to learn more about the location.

Those backing the Canary Islands are likely to argue that the location provides tax benefits and presents an opportunity to develop the region. They may also suggest that the site is already fairly well prepared to host the 42 meter diameter segmented mirror project, whereas the Chile site might absorb more cash during the construction phase. The islands are already home to a number of astronomy projects, led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias.

However, the Chilean side may equally argue that Europe has already spent a considerable amount of money in developing Chile as a base for its astronomy work and that the E-ELT would provide the perfect complement to existing instruments in the region.

/... http://exquisitelife.researchresearch.com/exquisite_life/2010/02/could-the-extremely-large-telescope-be-built-on-european-soil.html

Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma, Canarias

Included in the interests of balance!


http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/information/elt.pdf

btw. This video shows what Very Large Telescopes with Adaptive Optics can do. Imagine what Extremely Large Telescopes will be able to see: http://www.eso.org/public/videos/eso0947a/