Large Binocular Telescope successfully
achieves “First Light”
World’s Most Powerful Single Telescope
Captures First Images of Night Sky
(Tucson, Arizona) --- The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) partners in the U.S.A.,
Italy and Germany are pleased to announce that they achieved “First Light” on Oct.
12, 2005. These exceptional images were obtained with one of the telescope’s two
primary mirrors in place and are being released today on the World Wide Web,
http://www.lbto.org.
This milestone marks the dawn
of a new era in observing the Universe. Upon completion the LBT will peer deeper
into space than ever before, and with ten times the clarity of the Hubble Space
Telescope. With unparalleled observational capability, astronomers will be able
to view planets in distant solar systems, and detect and measure objects dating
back to the beginning of time (14 billion years ago).
Located on Mount Graham in
southeastern Arizona, the $120 million (USD) LBT is a marvel of modern
technology. It uses two massive 8.4-meter (27.6 foot) diameter primary mirrors
mounted side-by-side to produce a collecting area equivalent to an 11.8-meter
(39 foot) circular aperture. Furthermore, the interferometric combination of the
light paths of the two primary mirrors will provide a resolution of a 22.8-meter
telescope.
The “honeycomb” structured
primary mirrors are unique in that they are lighter in weight than conventional
solid-glass mirrors. The second primary mirror was recently transported from the
University of Arizona to Mount Graham and has been installed. By fall 2006, the
LBT will be fully operational with both of its enormous eyes wide open.
The LBT’s first light images
were taken on 12 October 2005. The target was an edge-on spiral galaxy (type Sb)
in the constellation of Andromeda known as NGC891. This galaxy lies at a
distance of 24 million light years. NGC891 is of particular interest because the
galaxy-wide burst of star formation inferred from X-ray emission is stirring up
the gas and dust in its disk, resulting in filaments of obscuring dust extending
vertically for hundreds of light-years.
The images were captured
through a state-of-the-art camera known as the Large Binocular Camera (LBC),
which is mounted high above the primary mirror at the telescope’s prime focus.
Designed by the Italian partners in the project, the LBC acts like a superb
digital camera. Its large array of CCD detectors is fed by a sophisticated
six-lens optical system. Scientists can obtain very deep images over a large
field of view, which is important since the processes of star formation and
faint galaxy evolution can be observed with unmatched efficiency.
Peter A. Strittmatter,
president of the LBT Corp., said, “This is a momentous occasion not only for the
LBT partners but also for the international astronomical community. These first
images far exceed our expectations and provide a glimpse of the unparalleled
observational power the LBT will provide. We are extremely excited by the
prospect that we can now observe the Universe from the earliest epochs of galaxy
formation as well as provide major new capabilities for the study of exo-solar
planets and the possibility of life outside our solar system.”
John P. Schaefer, chairman of
the LBT Corp. Board of Directors and member of the Research Corporation Board of
Directors said, “The LBT project is a remarkable scientific achievement made
possible through an unprecedented spirit of international cooperation. The LBT
has grown from an idea on paper to an international partnership of over 15
institutions from around the world contributing directly to its successful
implementation. This achievement is a tribute to what can be done when great
minds come together.”
First light is the culmination
of nearly 20 years of work that began with conceptual designs. Detailed designs
were completed in 1994 and construction began on Mount Graham in 1996. The
telescope structure was built in Italy while the University of Arizona designed,
cast, and polished the twin mirrors. The telescope was transported to Mt. Graham
in 2002, and the first mirror arrived in 2003. This primary mirror was mounted
and aligned in the telescope in 2004. In 2005, a thin coating of aluminum was
applied making it highly reflective and ready for capturing images.
John Hill, Technical Director
of the LBT, said, “This has been a long and challenging process and would not
have been possible without the support of an outstanding team of partner
institutions. From construction of our unique telescope structure to the
implementation of massive mirrors, every step has involved great minds using
cutting-edge technology. The remarkable success of the LBT is a tribute to the
creative efforts of our team members.”
The LBT is a collaborative
effort that includes numerous astronomy and academic institutions in the U.S.A.,
Italy and Germany. In addition to financial commitments, each partner’s unique
expertise ensures this will be the most advanced ground-based telescope ever
constructed. The partners, their ownership interest, and examples of their
contributions to the LBT include:
University of Arizona (25 percent)
The innovative telescope mirrors being used for the LBT were cast
and polished at the University's Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory. The
Mirror Lab is a pioneer in developing giant, lightweight mirrors of unparalleled
power for the new generation of optical and infrared telescopes. The twin
mirrors were polished to an accuracy of 30 nanometers, or 3,000 times thinner
than a human hair. Steward Observatory and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are
building the “LBT Interferometer,” an instrument that provides unprecedented
imaging capability at infrared wavelengths. The University served as the lead
for construction of the one-of-a-kind enclosure that houses the telescope.
Scientists at Arizona State and Northern Arizona Universities will also share in
the Arizona viewing time on the LBT.
Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) (25 percent)
The INAF includes all the Italian
Observatories and Astronomical Research Institutes. A consortium of Italian
astronomical observatories, led initially by the Arcetri Astrophysical
Observatory in Florence, and now by the INAF, has been involved in the project
since its inception. The Italian partners were responsible for the detailed
design and fabrication of the major structural elements of the telescope,
including the cells that hold the telescope's twin primary mirrors. The
structural parts were fabricated, pre-assembled and tested at the
Ansaldo-Camozzi steel works in Milan, one of Italy's long-established steel
fabrication companies. The telescope was then disassembled, shipped by freighter
to the U.S.A. and transported overland to Mount Graham in 2002. The Italian
partners also played a key role (along with Arizona) in developing and building
the unique adaptive secondary mirror systems. They are also providing the Large
Binocular Cameras, the first facility instruments for the LBT.
LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft (LBTB) (25 percent).
The LBTB is a consortium of
German institutes and observatories led by the Max Planck Institute for
Astronomy in Heidelberg. The LBTB is developing the LUCIFER instruments for near
infrared imaging and spectroscopy. LUCIFER 1 and 2 will operate in both “seeing”
and diffraction-limited modes, the latter fully exploiting the capabilities of
the adaptive secondary mirrors. The LBTB, in conjunction with the INAF is
developing the LINC-NIRVANA instrument which will provide interferometric
imaging capability at near infrared wavelengths. The PEPSI instrument, a
high-resolution Echelle spectrograph, is also being developed by the
Astrophysical Institute of Potsdam (AIP) and will allow astronomers to
understand the structure and dynamics of the surface magnetic fields of
solar-type stars. AIP will also deliver two Acquisition, Guiding, and Wavefront
sensing units for the telescope. The LBTB has also made contributions to
numerous aspects of the telescope including mirror supports and software.
The Ohio State University (OSU)(12.5 percent)
OSU has developed and refined the technology to deposit a
whisper-thin coating of aluminum on the glass surface of the primary mirrors.
The unique bell jar and vacuum system allows aluminization to take place while
the mirrors are mounted in the telescope. OSU also has lead responsibility for
the design and fabrication of the LBT’s visible and ultraviolet light
spectroscopy instrument, the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph (MODS), a
low-to-medium resolution spectrograph and imager. Two full MODS spectrographs
will be built with support from the Ohio Board of Regents, National Science
Foundation and the University of Arizona.
Research Corporation (12.5 percent)
By becoming an LBT partner in 1992, the Research Corporation
ensured that adequate funding was available to maintain project momentum at a
critical stage in the development of the LBT. It has also facilitated the
participation of OSU, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Minnesota
and the University of Virginia in the project.
The Research Corporation was established in 1912 to promote the advancement
of science in the United States. The non-profit foundation has focused on
supporting astronomy, chemistry and physics and has played key roles in several
astronomical projects including Grote Reber's pioneering work in radio astronomy.