The Giant Magellan Telescope’s 6th Mirror has Just Been Cast. One More to Go

Universe Today ^ | 3/12/21 | Matt Williams

[libertylover]

What does that machine do?

It gives liberals heart attacks.

[DUMBGRUNT]

—”Big advances in optics technology in the last couple of decades have made giant ground-based telescopes feasible again. “

Guessing that, they use digital correction to compensate for the earth’s atmosphere?

Used to be an airborne telescope mounted in a 747(?) FLYING AT 40,000 FEET.

STILLING FLYING:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratospheric_Observatory_for_Infrared_Astronomy

[COBOL2Java]

wow all the money spent on a telescope, Just think of all the poor black children that money could have helped

It's OK, the RATs are in charge now.

[DUMBGRUNT]

—”I doubt the astronomers will be looking at stars much on a sunny day,”

An eclipse? Yes, stars.

A guy I worked with had a large Dobsonian homebrew and you could view some planets, and the moon during daylight.

[Al B.]

Guessing that, they use digital correction to compensate for the earth’s atmosphere?

Yep. Extremely thin secondary mirror, deformable by thousands of computer-controlled actuators to account for real-time distortions of airflow. Plus, Atacama Desert in Chile has very stable airflows to begin with compared to other places where these telescopes might be built.

High-tech stuff. Here in TX, UT Austin-Astronomy Dept. with its McDonald Observatory is one of the consortium members. They're pretty excited about this project.

[6ppc]

Don’t remember all of the names. Was he the guy who polished the mirror? If so then yes.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Allan Sandage was Edwin Hubble's protege and successor, the world's leading astronomer in the mid-to-late 20th Century, and the prime force behind the development of the Palomar Telescope as the replacement of the LA's urban lighting-challenged Mt. Wilson observatory.

Allan was the central character in the bestselling Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos, the story of Palomar's discoveries. He was a lovely man and a personal friend.

[6ppc]

Thanks. I’ll check out that book...sounds interesting.

[Hebrews 11:6]

If you do, and if you consider yourself to be a fervent Christian, then if you will get back to me I will tell you the extremely interesting and well-documented backstory about Allan that permeates that book but which the author failed to explore.