Giant Magellan Telescope

Giant Magellan Telescope
Alternative namesGMT Edit this at Wikidata
Part ofUS Extremely Large Telescope Program Edit this on Wikidata
Location(s)Atacama Desert, Coquimbo Region, Atacama Region, Chile Edit this at Wikidata
Coordinates29°02′54″S 70°41′01″W / 29.0483°S 70.6836°W / -29.0483; -70.6836 Edit this at Wikidata
Altitude2,516 m (8,255 ft) Edit this at Wikidata
Wavelength320 nm (940 THz)–25,000 nm (12 THz)
Built2015–2025 (2015–2025) Edit this at Wikidata
Telescope styleGregorian telescope Edit this on Wikidata
Diameter25.448 m (83 ft 5.9 in) Edit this at Wikidata
Secondary diameter3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) Edit this at Wikidata
Mass2,100 t (2,100,000 kg) Edit this at Wikidata
Angular resolution0.01 arcsecond Edit this on Wikidata
Collecting area368 m2 (3,960 sq ft) Edit this at Wikidata
Focal length18, 202.7 m (59 ft 1 in, 665 ft 0 in) Edit this at Wikidata
Websitegiantmagellan.org Edit this at Wikidata
Giant Magellan Telescope is located in Chile
Giant Magellan Telescope
Location of Giant Magellan Telescope
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The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) is a ground-based, extremely large telescope currently under construction at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert. With a primary mirror diameter of 25.4 meters, it is expected to be the largest Gregorian telescope ever built, observing in optical and mid-infrared wavelengths (320–25,000 nm).[1] Commissioning of the telescope is anticipated in the early 2030s.[2][3][4][5]

The GMT will feature seven of the world's largest mirrors, collectively providing a light-collecting area of 368 square meters.[6][7] It is expected to have a resolving power approximately 10 times greater than the Hubble Space Telescope and four times greater than the James Webb Space Telescope. However, it will not be able to observe in the same infrared frequencies as space-based telescopes. The GMT will be used to explore a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, including the search for signs of life on exoplanets and the study of the cosmic origins of chemical elements.[8][9][10][11]

The casting of the GMT's primary mirrors began in 2005, and construction at the site started in 2015. By 2023, all seven primary mirrors had been cast, the first of seven adaptive secondary mirrors was under construction, and the telescope mount was in the manufacturing stage. Other subsystems of the telescope were in the final stages of design.[12][13][14]

The project, with an estimated cost of USD $2 billion, is being developed by the GMTO Corporation, a consortium of research institutions from seven countries: Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.[15]

  1. ^ "Giant Magellan Telescope Science Requirements" (PDF). GMT Consortium. p. 11. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  2. ^ Science Book 2018 Archived 2023-06-04 at the Wayback Machine GMT Science Book
  3. ^ Harvard & Smithsonian (6 February 2022). "Mission Critical: Giant Magellan Telescope Ranked a National Priority". SciTechDaily. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  4. ^ Diaz, Jesus (16 August 2022). "These next-gen telescopes will make the James Webb look like a toy – Upcoming telescope designs will dwarf the resolution of the James Webb. One of them is coming very soon to a mountain in Chile. The other may take a century". Fast Company. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  5. ^ "About Us". Giant Magellan Telescope. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  6. ^ McKee, Maggie (2007-10-04). "Giant telescope in race to become world's largest". New Scientist. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
  7. ^ "Chapter 6: Optics". GMT Conceptual Design Report. GMT Consortium. p. 6–3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  8. ^ "'Magic Mirrors' Will Power The Giant Magellan Telescope". Forbes. August 2, 2022.
  9. ^ Amos, Jonathan (12 November 2015). "Giant Magellan Telescope: Super-scope project breaks ground". BBC News. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  10. ^ "The Giant Magellan Telescope Organization Breaks Ground in Chile". Giant Magellan Telescope. November 11, 2015.
  11. ^ "Engineering Marvel: Sixth Mirror Cast for Giant Magellan Telescope". Giant Magellan Telescope (Press release). 5 March 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  12. ^ Proceedings of Spie, Giant Magellan.
  13. ^ "Giant Magellan Milestone". Harvard Magazine. August 27, 2013.
  14. ^ "The Giant Magellan Telescope's Final Mirror Fabrication Begins". GMTO.
  15. ^ "Giant Magellan Telescope Expands Global Science Impact with Taiwanese Partner". GMTO Corporation. February 20, 2024.