Large Binocular Telescope

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Large Binocular Telescope
View of LBT. Taken in November 2006
Organization	large consortium
Location	Mount Graham International Observatory, Arizona, USA
Coordinates	32°42′05.4″N 109°53′22.6″W / 32.7015, -109.889611Coordinates: 32°42′05.4″N 109°53′22.6″W / 32.7015, -109.889611
Altitude	10,000–10,500 ft
Wavelength	optical, infrared
First light	First light (1st primary mirror individually) 12 October 2005. Second light (2nd primary mirror individually) September 18, 2006. First Binocular light (both mirrors together) January 11-January 12, 2008^[1]
Telescope style	binocular
Diameter	8.4 m per mirror
Angular resolution	λ/22.8 m
Collecting area	111 m²
Focal length	9.6m (f/1.142)
Mounting	elevation/azimuth
Dome	co-rotating building, dual parting slits
Website	http://www.lbto.org/

The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT, originally named the Columbus Project) is located on 10,700-foot Mount Graham in the Pinaleno Mountains of southeastern Arizona and is a part of the Mount Graham International Observatory. As of 2008, the LBT is the world's highest resolution and most technologically advanced optical telescope, creating images in the near-infrared with 10 times the resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope.^[2]

1 Project
2 Binocular Light
3 In the media
4 Additional photos
5 Other MGIO facilities
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Project

LBT is a joint project of these members: the Italian astronomical community (represented by the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, INAF); the University of Arizona; the LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft in Germany (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Landessternwarte in Heidelberg, Astrophysical Institute Potsdam (AIP), Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Munich and Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn); The Ohio State University; Research Corporation in Tucson.

The telescope design has two 8.4-meter mirrors mounted on a common base, hence the name "binocular".^[2] LBT takes advantage of active and adaptive optics, provided by Arcetri Observatory. The collecting area is equivalent to an 11.8-meter circular aperture, greater than any other single telescope. Also, an interferometric mode will be available, with a maximum baseline of 22.8 meters for aperture synthesis imaging observations and a baseline of 15 meters for nulling interferometry.

The choice of location sparked considerable local controversy, both from the San Carlos Apache Tribe, who claimed the mountain is sacred, and from environmentalists who contended that the observatory would cause the demise of the endangered Mount Graham Red Squirrel. Environmentalists and members of the tribe filed some 40 lawsuits — eight of which ended up before a federal appeals court — but the project ultimately prevailed after an act of the United States Congress.

The telescope and mountain observatory survived two major forest fires in eight years, the more recent in the summer of 2004.

[edit] Binocular Light

The Large Binocular Telescope's two primary mirrors

The telescope was dedicated in October 2004 and saw first light with a single primary mirror on October 12, 2005 which viewed NGC 891.^[3]^[4] The second primary mirror was installed in January 2006 and became fully operational in January 2008.^[2]

The first binocular light images show three false-color renditions of the spiral galaxy NGC 2770. The galaxy is 102 million light years from our Milky Way, a relatively close neighbor. The galaxy has a flat disk of stars and glowing gas tipped slightly toward our line of sight.

The first image taken combines ultraviolet and green light and emphasizes the clumpy regions of newly formed hot stars in the spiral arms. The second image combines two deep red colors to highlight the smoother distribution of older, cooler stars. The third image (right) is a composite of ultraviolet, green and deep red light and shows the detailed structure of hot, moderate and cool stars in the galaxy. The cameras and images were produced by the Large Binocular Camera team, led by Emanuele Giallongo at the Rome Astrophysical Observatory.

The LBT has a light-collecting area equivalent to a single 11.8-meter (39-foot) surface and will combine light to produce the image sharpness equivalent to a single 22.8-meter (75-foot) telescope. It is located on 10,480-foot Mount Graham in southeastern Arizona.

"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."

[edit] In the media

The telescope has also made an appearance on an episode of the TV show Really Big Things on the Discovery Channel.

[edit] Additional photos

The LBT on 26/11/2007	LBT at dusk on 26/11/2007	LBT at dusk on 26/11/2007 after having rotated in azimuth	The azimuth track on which the enclosure rotates
Altitude track with people for scale	One of the LBT's two mirrors