Powerful Optical Telescope Captures First Binocular Images

The Large Binocular Telescope consists of two 8.4-meter mirrors which function in tandem to provide resolution greater than that of the Hubble Telescope. The LBT's first "binocular" images were captured recently, marking the end to a long and laborious construction process. We previously discussed the LBT when images were captured from the first mirror to be installed. Quoting: "The LBT ... will combine light to produce the image sharpness equivalent to a single 22.8-meter (75-foot) telescope. 'To have a fully functioning binocular telescope is not only a time for celebration here at LBT, but also for the entire astronomy community,' UA Steward Observatory Director, Regents' Professor and LBT Corp. President Peter A. Strittmatter said. 'The images that this telescope will produce will be like none seen before. The power and clarity of this machine is in a class of its own. It will provide unmatched ability to peer into history, seeing the birth of the universe.'"

Comments

Been done

[akuykenda]

It will provide unmatched ability to peer into history, seeing the birth of the universe.

Something like that already exists.

Re:Been done

[hey!]

You can't use a TARDIS to witness the birth of the universe any more than you can use an airplane to see what's north of the North Pole.

Just like the movies

[Fear the Clam]

Everything will seen through an infinity-symbol-shaped viewing area.

This might be a stupid question...

[TubeSteak]

If two telescopes are good, wouldn't three be even better?
It's not like two is some arbitrary limit... right?

Re:This might be a stupid question...

[Elrond, Duke of URL]

No, there's no physical limit to how many you can have. But, of course, cost is a factor. The construction of the LBT was very expensive. Each of the 7.5m mirrors alone cost a fortune to construct.

On another mountain outside of Tucson (Mt. Hopkins) is the MMTO (Multiple Mirror Telescope Observatory). As the name suggests, this was a large telescope made from six smaller mirror segments. It has since been converted into a telescope with a single 6.5m mirror. There's a group at the University of Arizona which does adaptive optics experiments with it (MMTAO).

BLT

[kck]

I would have named it the Binocular Large Telescope.

Re:BLT

[NixieBunny]

Yes, that would have been nicer. In a hallway in the Steward Observatory office building, there was once a poster illustrating the proposed Super Huge Interferometric Telescope I think the poster was done by bored grad students.

Re:Doesn't seem that large.

[Elrond, Duke of URL]

The telescope is a ways outside of town on top of Mount Graham. I've not see it personally, but I've seen the building for the MMT (a much smaller telescope) on Mt. Hopkins and it is quite impressive.

The large building behind the football stadium on campus is the mirror lab where they cast and finish the individual mirrors. Even that building isn't so small.

Perhaps you are thinking of the small white domed building (Old Steward Observatory) that sits behind the current Steward Observatory? That's mostly graduate student offices now. There's a telescope in there, but it's very old and quite small.

That's quite right - And the future of astronomy.

[Esteanil]

In 2015 the European Space Agency is planning to launch Darwin. 4 spacecraft. 3 light collectors (based on the Herschel design) and one hub where the light is collected. If it works out (the telescopes and the hub must stay in formation with millimetre precision), we'll have a space telescope with an effective mirror size of several hundred meters.

The objective is the study of extrasolar planets, and the telescope will record in IR for purposes of recording signs of life.
Multiple mirror telescopes in space are probably the only way we will get to the point where we'll have close up pictures of extrasolar planets the size of earth.
And we're getting there.

Re:Obviation of space borne telescopes?

[arse maker]

Huge portions of the electromagnetic spectrum are absorbed by our atmosphere, for instance infra-red. These spectra are totally unobservable from earth and space based telescopes will always be needed. Other technical issues include how long you can sit observing a target, the earth is constantly rotating and while earth based telescopes can track an object it can only do it for a small portion of the day. A space based telescope can (depending on its location) observe a target uninterrupted for days, weeks, months or as long as needed. Now binocular telescopes with a few huge telescopes on earth and a few huge ones on the moon... or even Mars. Now that id like to see... but not so much fund :)

Re:life ain't fair

[siddesu]

make one yourself. some people do ;)

Re:What are the advantages of a binocular telescop

[dsvilko2]

As an amateur astronomer I can say that what you wrote is absolutely true. It's something very different and wonderful to be able to observe with both your eyes even if the image they are getting is completely the same. Still, it has nothing to do with why people build large binocular observatories such as this. One reason is that it is probably cheaper to build two 8.4m mirrors that won't distort under their weight then one large mirror of the same surface area. The other is the resolution gain that is possible with the binocular setup through interferometry.