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"Perfect" Mirrors Cast For LSST

Posted by kdawson on from the billion-pixels-of-goodness dept.

eldavojohn writes "The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (which was partially funded by Gates & Co.) announced a world record casting for its single-piece primary and tertiary mirror blanks, cast at the University of Arizona. From the announcement: 'The Mirror Lab team opened the furnace for a close-up look at the cooled 51,900-pound mirror blank, which consists of an outer 27.5-foot diameter (8.4-meter) primary mirror and an inner 16.5-foot (5-meter) third mirror cast in one mold. It is the first time a combined primary and tertiary mirror has been produced on such a large scale.'"

12 of 114 comments (clear)

  1. Apparently... by Kagura · · Score: 4, Funny

    Apparently it was so awesome, they just skipped the secondary mirror and went straight to tertiary. :)

    1. Re:Apparently... by sokoban · · Score: 4, Funny

      Your post is written
      Almost like some poetry
      Refrigerator

      --
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 is the magic number.
    2. Re:Apparently... by Bloodoflethe · · Score: 3, Funny

      Best haiku evar
      Mad props are due all to you
      Cooled food device too

      --
      "Little is much when little you need."
    3. Re:Apparently... by antic · · Score: 3, Funny

      Looked to me like it was written in the Idle.Slashdot comment box.

      --
      'Thats they exact same thing a banana wrench monkey.'
  2. That is the casting done. by Finallyjoined!!! · · Score: 2, Funny

    Let's hope the grinding is more accurate than the Hubble mirror.

    http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12717301.000-the-testing-error-that-led-to-hubble-mirror-fiasco-.html

    --
    If I had an Ass, I'd call it Fanny Bottom, then I could slap my Ass; Fanny Bottom, on the Arse.
    1. Re:That is the casting done. by rhyder128k · · Score: 3, Funny

      "You're *sure* about this? The calculations have to be absolutely perfect. Even the slightes..."

      "Look, take it easy. Of course we're sure. We even got hold of latest chip from Intel. Look, Pen-tee-um. It's apparently the latest thing." [fx: combined lightning/thunder clap]

      --
      Michael Reed, freelance tech writer.
  3. Re:everything made by man fails by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't understand, what is this post about? It looks like random mindless babbling, not really a structured conspiracy theory or criticism or anything.

    --
    Support my political activism on Patreon.
  4. Yes... by msauve · · Score: 1, Funny

    but the summary did say that Microsoft money (via a level of indirection) was involved, so "good enough" is in its genes.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  5. You know the rule by Weaselmancer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Microsoft products aren't worth buying until they get to the third release. So they just skipped straight to #3 this time.

    --
    Weaselmancer
    rediculous.
  6. It was as if... by dave562 · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...all the ants on the planet screamed out in horror at the same time, then suddenly went silent.

  7. I can haz atomsnes? by Nefarious+Wheel · · Score: 3, Funny

    "perfect" is a malleable term for "flawless within the constraints and granularity of one's ability to measure". It may be perfect on the molecular level, and on the atomic, but ... some of thoze particalzorz haz a deviant spin!!

    --
    Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
  8. Re:everything made by man fails by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's easy to understand once you realize there are four simultaneous days in each rotation of the earth!

    1-corner god is a fraud! Are you afraid to know?