HESS Gamma-Ray Telescope Inaugurated This Week

Grandroyill writes "Most ground-based telescopes with lenses and mirrors are hindered by the Earth's nurturing, protective atmosphere that blurs images and scatters and absorbs light. But this telescope...actually requires the atmosphere to operate. As the gamma rays impact the upper atmosphere they produce air showers of high-energy particles. Adorned with 382 separate mirrors each 60 centimeters in diameter and equipped with a fast camera, the telescope records in detail the brief flashes of optical light, called Cherenkov light, created by the air shower particles. Great pic too!" Beautiful telescope. Kudos to the engineers.