The Giant Magellan Telescope

Whats in store for the near future for discovering earth like extrasolar planets is The Giant Magellan Telescope or (GMT). The Giant Magellan Telescope is collaboration project between multiple universities and research labs to construct a giant telescope of the future. The Giant Magellan Telescope is going to take a giant leap in telescope technology and open the stars up for discovering and viewing extrasolar planets like we have never been able to do before. Other things the telescope could open up are the research of dark matter and dark energy properties, the formation of stars and black holes, the collapse of stars and black holes, better mapping of our milky way galaxy, supernovas, undiscovered galaxies, and maybe even see light beyond the edge of our universe !

At the Stewart Observatory Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona, right under the football field bleachers, the Giant Telescope project is all ready underway with the construction of the seven giant 8.4 meter telescope mirrors. One of these giant mirrors are already successfully completed. The telescope is scheduled to be completed in the Year 2017 or late 2016 pending on proper funding. The Giant Magellan Telescope will be able to make images about 10 times more sharper then the famous Hubble Telescope. The telescope will be able to do this due to the size of its 7 mirrors that are 8.4 meters each. The telescope will have a center mirror and then 6 other mirrors that are off axis surrounding the center telescope mirror in a hexagon. The first mirror was completed November 3rd, 2005, but still there is much polishing and adjusting to do on this Giant Telescope.

When the telescope is completed it will be placed inside a cylinder shaped domed to protect it from weather and undesired light. The dome the telescope will be placed in will be 64 meters high and 51 meters wide. And of course will have adjustable vents for proper airflow and all of that.

The Giant Magellan Telescope has all ready been confirmed of wheres its location is going to be, the Las Campanas Observatory, located in northern Chile, which is also the location of the two Magellan Telescopes, Baade and Clay....This site was chosen because it is one of the best sites on Earth for telescopes to view the stars and more, there is very little to none light pollution and the weather is pretty clear all year round making this a great place for telescopes. Once the Giant Magellan Telescope is complete we will be able to directly view extrasolar planets and maybe even smaller Earth like planets with this telescopes power. When the Giant Magellan Telescope is completed it will surely open our eyes on how we view exoplanets in our milky way galaxy, and also, so much more.


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