ASTR 101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Retroreflector, Null Corrector, Pentaprism
5 Sep 2016
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Next generation of metatelescopes took step closer to reality october 23 rd, 2012. Announcement that they finished polishing the first mirror of the giant magellan telescope. Gmt is a competitor in the race for the largest ground-based optical telescope. Gmt combines seven 8. 4 m segments into a flower-like primary with the resolving power of a single mirror 24. 5 m wide. Will gather more light than any telescope built so far. Sensitivity and resolution will result in deep images 10 times sharper than hubble. Gmt"s seven mirrors must form a single parabolic primary, so outer segments must be slightly saddle-shaped, not parabolic. Mirror lab is the only place in the world where you can manufacture a single 8. 4 metre mirror. Spin casting: spinning the molten glass shapes its surface into a paraboloid, reducing the time and energy needed to grind in the curve. Been using this technique for decades (over 20 years) because there"s no better way.
