Gran Proyección Lumínica Sobre El Universo Se Presentará En Parque Bicentenario
La intervención artístico-científica liderada por GMTO y Delight Lab, busca sorprender y educar a los asistentes con una función audiovisual astronómica este domingo 27 de marzo.
SANTIAGO, CHILE — Ciencia y Arte se unen para entregar una experiencia única en el cierre del Día de la Astronomía, iniciativa a cargo de Telescopio Magallanes Gigante –GMTO y el estudio audiovisual Delight Lab. “El Universo Espera” es un viaje hacia los secretos del Cosmos y los objetos astronómicos al que la humanidad podrá acceder mediante este telescopio, el más poderoso del mundo que se construye en el Observatorio Las Campanas en la región de Atacama.
“Tenemos el gran privilegio y alegría de poder llevar esta increíble actividad en conjunto, que nos permite vivir una experiencia astronómica inigualable, adelantándonos a las grandes posibilidades que nos permitirá evidenciar el Telescopio, gracias a sus poderosos espejos, para dar un salto en el tiempo y espacio” señala el astrónomo Miguel Roth, representante de GMTO en Chile.
La iniciativa busca acercar la astronomía y la ciencia a los espacios públicos, contribuyendo así a consolidar esta rama científica en el país como parte de la identidad nacional. Así lo destaca Andrea Gana, artista y fundadora junto a su hermano Octavio de Delight Lab “la astronomía es fundamental en la identidad chilena, incluso desde el valor espiritual que las culturas originarias le otorgaban a la cosmovisión, y nosotros buscamos instancias para salir de los espacios convencionales para encontrarnos, mirar y entender los hitos astronómicos”.
“El efecto que se logra al combinar ciencia y arte es de gran potencia, captando los sentidos e intereses de miles de personas, que buscan preguntas y respuestas sobre nuestro mundo y entorno” agrega Roth. En esto coinciden con los hermanos Gana, quienes ven gran sintonía entre ambas disciplinas “tanto el arte como la ciencia se encuentran en esos espacios de reflexión, realizando procesos metódicos y de investigación, y cuando se fusionan se potencian lo que nos permite hacernos nuevas preguntas, por eso es tan atractiva esta unión” señala Andrea Gana.
Junto al apoyo de la Corporación Cultural de la Municipalidad de Vitacura, a partir de las 21:00 hrs y hasta las 22:30 hrs del domingo 27 de marzo, los asistentes podrán disfrutar de esta intervención que se proyectará en el edificio de la entidad en el Parque Bicentenario.
Acerca de El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante es el futuro de la exploración espacial. Usando siete de los espejos más grandes del mundo, el telescopio de 25.4-metros producirá las imágenes con más detalles del Universo jamás tomadas. Descubrirá los misterios cósmicos de la materia oscura, investigará el origen de los elementos químicos, y verificará señales de vida en planetas distantes por primera vez en la historia. El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante es un proyecto de la Corporación GMTO, un consorcio internacional de prestigiosas universidades e instituciones científicas de cinco países. El telescopio está en construcción en el Observatorio Las Campanas en Chile y espera estar completado a fines de la década de 2020s. El Universo Espera en giantmagellan.org.The post Gran Proyección Lumínica Sobre El Universo Se Presentará En Parque Bicentenario appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
Gran Proyección Lumínica Sobre El Universo Se Presentará En Parque Bicentenario
La intervención artístico-científica liderada por GMTO y Delight Lab, busca sorprender y educar a los asistentes con una función audiovisual astronómica este domingo 27 de marzo.
SANTIAGO, CHILE — Ciencia y Arte se unen para entregar una experiencia única en el cierre del Día de la Astronomía, iniciativa a cargo de Telescopio Magallanes Gigante –GMTO y el estudio audiovisual Delight Lab. “El Universo Espera” es un viaje hacia los secretos del Cosmos y los objetos astronómicos al que la humanidad podrá acceder mediante este telescopio, el más poderoso del mundo que se construye en el Observatorio Las Campanas en la región de Atacama.
“Tenemos el gran privilegio y alegría de poder llevar esta increíble actividad en conjunto, que nos permite vivir una experiencia astronómica inigualable, adelantándonos a las grandes posibilidades que nos permitirá evidenciar el Telescopio, gracias a sus poderosos espejos, para dar un salto en el tiempo y espacio” señala el astrónomo Miguel Roth, representante de GMTO en Chile.
La iniciativa busca acercar la astronomía y la ciencia a los espacios públicos, contribuyendo así a consolidar esta rama científica en el país como parte de la identidad nacional. Así lo destaca Andrea Gana, artista y fundadora junto a su hermano Octavio de Delight Lab “la astronomía es fundamental en la identidad chilena, incluso desde el valor espiritual que las culturas originarias le otorgaban a la cosmovisión, y nosotros buscamos instancias para salir de los espacios convencionales para encontrarnos, mirar y entender los hitos astronómicos”.
“El efecto que se logra al combinar ciencia y arte es de gran potencia, captando los sentidos e intereses de miles de personas, que buscan preguntas y respuestas sobre nuestro mundo y entorno” agrega Roth. En esto coinciden con los hermanos Gana, quienes ven gran sintonía entre ambas disciplinas “tanto el arte como la ciencia se encuentran en esos espacios de reflexión, realizando procesos metódicos y de investigación, y cuando se fusionan se potencian lo que nos permite hacernos nuevas preguntas, por eso es tan atractiva esta unión” señala Andrea Gana.
Junto al apoyo de la Corporación Cultural de la Municipalidad de Vitacura, a partir de las 21:00 hrs y hasta las 22:30 hrs del domingo 27 de marzo, los asistentes podrán disfrutar de esta intervención que se proyectará en el edificio de la entidad en el Parque Bicentenario.
Contacto de Prensa Oscar Contreras-Villarroel Director de Relaciones Externas en Chile ocontreras@giantmagellan.org +56 9 9150 4292The post Gran Proyección Lumínica Sobre El Universo Se Presentará En Parque Bicentenario appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
Gran Proyección Lumínica Sobre El Universo Se Presentará En Parque Bicentenario
La intervención artístico-científica liderada por GMTO y Delight Lab, busca sorprender y educar a los asistentes con una función audiovisual astronómica este domingo 27 de marzo.
SANTIAGO, CHILE — Ciencia y Arte se unen para entregar una experiencia única en el cierre del Día de la Astronomía, iniciativa a cargo de Telescopio Magallanes Gigante –GMTO y el estudio audiovisual Delight Lab. “El Universo Espera” es un viaje hacia los secretos del Cosmos y los objetos astronómicos al que la humanidad podrá acceder mediante este telescopio, el más poderoso del mundo que se construye en el Observatorio Las Campanas en la región de Atacama.
“Tenemos el gran privilegio y alegría de poder llevar esta increíble actividad en conjunto, que nos permite vivir una experiencia astronómica inigualable, adelantándonos a las grandes posibilidades que nos permitirá evidenciar el Telescopio, gracias a sus poderosos espejos, para dar un salto en el tiempo y espacio” señala el astrónomo Miguel Roth, representante de GMTO en Chile.
La iniciativa busca acercar la astronomía y la ciencia a los espacios públicos, contribuyendo así a consolidar esta rama científica en el país como parte de la identidad nacional. Así lo destaca Andrea Gana, artista y fundadora junto a su hermano Octavio de Delight Lab “la astronomía es fundamental en la identidad chilena, incluso desde el valor espiritual que las culturas originarias le otorgaban a la cosmovisión, y nosotros buscamos instancias para salir de los espacios convencionales para encontrarnos, mirar y entender los hitos astronómicos”.
“El efecto que se logra al combinar ciencia y arte es de gran potencia, captando los sentidos e intereses de miles de personas, que buscan preguntas y respuestas sobre nuestro mundo y entorno” agrega Roth. En esto coinciden con los hermanos Gana, quienes ven gran sintonía entre ambas disciplinas “tanto el arte como la ciencia se encuentran en esos espacios de reflexión, realizando procesos metódicos y de investigación, y cuando se fusionan se potencian lo que nos permite hacernos nuevas preguntas, por eso es tan atractiva esta unión” señala Andrea Gana.
Junto al apoyo de la Corporación Cultural de la Municipalidad de Vitacura, a partir de las 21:00 hrs y hasta las 22:30 hrs del domingo 27 de marzo, los asistentes podrán disfrutar de esta intervención que se proyectará en el edificio de la entidad en el Parque Bicentenario.
Contacto de Prensa Oscar Contreras-Villarroel Director de Relaciones Externas en Chile ocontreras@gmto.org +56 9 9150 4292The post Gran Proyección Lumínica Sobre El Universo Se Presentará En Parque Bicentenario appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
And the Award to Design the Giant Magellan Telescope Goes to…
The post And the Award to Design the Giant Magellan Telescope Goes to… appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
Giant Magellan Telescope Awards IDOM Final Design of its Telescope Enclosure
Renowned engineering and architecture firm, IDOM, faces rigorous design requirements of the Giant Magellan Telescope’s enclosure to allow for unobstructed observations of the night sky.
PASADENA, CA — The Giant Magellan Telescope today announced they have awarded IDOM, a renowned engineering and architecture firm based in Spain, a contract to complete the telescope enclosure design by 2024. The award follows an extensive enclosure designer evaluation and selection process based on a detailed set of criteria involving design team experience, proposed approaches to specific design challenges, incorporation of safety management in the design process, and more.
Designing the 4,800 metric ton upper enclosure will be a particularly challenging engineering feat, as it will need to protect the telescope’s giant mirrors from extreme earthquakes and weather, modulate wind speeds and temperatures, and reveal seven of the world’s largest mirrors for unobstructed science observations of the night sky. The enclosure design will also utilize the latest technologies and construction practices to be as sustainable as possible. Once operational in the late 2020s, the Giant Magellan Telescope will produce the sharpest and most detailed images ever taken of our universe — ten times greater than the famed Hubble Space Telescope and four times the James Webb Space Telescope.
“Following an extensive designer evaluation, IDOM proved to have the necessary knowledge, experience, and expertise to solve the design challenges associated with the environmental conditions at the telescope site, especially the local seismic and weather conditions,” said Dr. Bruce Bigelow, the Giant Magellan Telescope’s Site, Enclosure, and Facilities Manager. “Adding the size, functionality, and environmental conditions to the design challenge, efficient manufacturing, especially off-site and modular construction, are key aspects to making the construction of the enclosure safe, reliable, and affordable. We’re delighted to work with IDOM to make the enclosure design a reality.”
Headquartered in Bilbao, Spain, IDOM has 45 offices around the world providing global design solutions for a broad portion of the built environment. Leading the enclosure design is IDOM’s Advanced Design and Analysis group. Their engineers develop special and moveable structures, test systems, instruments and facilities for astronomers, nuclear and particle physicists, and other advanced research fields.
”IDOM is proud to be working on this world-class project. Our multi-discipline team of engineers is well positioned to solve both the technical and practical challenges of this complicated machine,” said Tom Lorentz, IDOM’s President of US Operations. “The IDOM team combines world-class design and construction management experience in large and complex movable structures, with first-hand knowledge of civil and site-specific construction practices and capabilities of the local Chilean contractors.” IDOM has made remarkable contributions to the design and construction of astronomical facilities, including the development of components for the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the enclosure and thermal systems for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, consulting for the Thirty Meter Telescope, design for the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer, and the conceptual design for the European Extremely Large Telescope.
Designed for Resilience Cross section of the Giant Magellan Telescope enclosure, pier, and mountThe Giant Magellan Telescope’s 65-meter-tall enclosure must overcome two key challenges in protecting its giant mirrors — extreme earthquakes and weather. The Giant Magellan Telescope is being constructed at Las Campanas Observatory in the Chilean Atacama Desert, one of the driest deserts and most seismically active regions in the world. Averaging six earthquakes every month, the site will expose the telescope and enclosure to regular seismic events. The enclosure design provides the telescope pier with a seismic isolation system that can survive the strongest earthquakes expected over the 50-year lifetime of the observatory and will allow the telescope to quickly return to operations after the more frequent, but less intense seismic events that are experienced several times per month. The desert’s extreme weather also requires a robust climate control system to keep high winds and temperature changes from impacting the telescope’s giant mirrors and advanced optical technologies. These automated systems are capable of protecting the telescope from daily temperature swings, to provide an optimal observing environment all night long.
A Focus on Efficiency and SustainabilityEven before the global pandemic created unprecedented supply chain challenges and materials shortages, efficient manufacturing and logistics have remained the priority in the enclosure design process. As such, the enclosure design will use a variety of constructability approaches, utilizing both local materials and a local workforce, to control costs and minimize construction and operational carbon footprints.
IDOM will design the Giant Magellan Telescope’s enclosure to be as sustainable as possible, using the latest technologies and environmental design practices. The construction site currently relies on the Chilean National Electric System, which is predominately supplied by renewable energy. The GMTO Corporation plans to build its own powerline to connect to the Chilean grid, to take advantage of existing renewable energy sources. The completed observatory facilities will employ energy and water efficient technologies, including a greywater treatment and recovery systems to significantly reduce water usage.
IDOM is a privately held, global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm, with more than 4,000 employees and 45 offices around the world, including US locations in Minneapolis and Atlanta and headquarters in Bilbao, Spain. To learn more about IDOM, visit idom.com/en.
The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of an international consortium of leading universities and research institutions representing five countries. To learn more, visit gmto.org.
Contacto de Prensa Oscar Contreras-Villarroel Director de Relaciones Externas en Chile ocontreras@giantmagellan.org +56 9 9150 4292 MultimediaMultimedia assets and media usage statement available here until April 7, 2022.
The post Giant Magellan Telescope Awards IDOM Final Design of its Telescope Enclosure appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante otorga a IDOM el diseño final del edificio del telescopio
La renombrada firma de ingeniería y arquitectura IDOM, enfrentará los rigurosos requisitos de diseño del edificio (cúpula) que le permitirá al Telescopio Magallanes Gigante observar sin obstrucciones el cielo nocturno.
PASADENA, CA — El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante anunció hoy su decisión de adjudicar a IDOM, una renombrada firma de ingeniería y arquitectura con sede en España, el contrato para completar el diseño del edificio del telescopio para 2024. La adjudicación se basa en un extenso proceso de selección y evaluación de los diseños presentados, en el que se consideró un conjunto de criterios relacionados con la experiencia del equipo de diseño, soluciones propuestas para desafíos de diseño específicos, incorporación de la gestión de la seguridad en el proceso de diseño y más.
Diseñar este edificio, que supera las 4.800 toneladas métricas, será toda una hazaña de la ingeniería, ya que deberá proteger los espejos gigantes del telescopio de terremotos y condiciones climáticas extremas, modular la velocidad del viento y la temperatura, y permitir que siete de los espejos más grandes del mundo realicen observaciones científicas del cielo nocturno sin obstrucciones. El diseño del edificio también utilizará las últimas tecnologías y prácticas de construcción para que sea lo más sustentable posible. Cuando entre en operaciones, a fines de la década, el Telescopio Magallanes Gigante producirá las imágenes más nítidas y detalladas jamás obtenidas de nuestro universo, diez veces mas nítidas a las obtenidas por el famoso Telescopio Espacial Hubble y cuatro veces las del Telescopio Espacial James Webb.
“Después de una extensa evaluación de los diseños presentados, IDOM demostró tener el conocimiento, la experiencia y la pericia necesarios para resolver los desafíos de diseño asociados con las condiciones ambientales en el sitio del telescopio, especialmente las condiciones climáticas y sísmicas del lugar”, indicó el Dr. Bruce Bigelow, Gerente del Sitio, Edificio e Instalaciones del Telescopio Magallanes Gigante. “Si agregamos el tamaño, la funcionalidad y las condiciones ambientales a los desafíos del diseño, una fabricación eficiente, que considere la construcción modular y fuera del sitio, resulta clave para que la construcción del edificio del telescopio sea segura, confiable y asequible. Estamos encantados de trabajar con IDOM para hacer realidad el diseño del edificio”.
Con sede en Bilbao (España), IDOM cuenta con 45 oficinas en todo el mundo que ofrecen soluciones de diseño global para una gran parte del área de la construcción. El diseño del edificio del telescopio estará a cargo del grupo de Diseño y Análisis Avanzado de IDOM. Sus ingenieros desarrollan estructuras especiales y móviles, sistemas de prueba, instrumentos e instalaciones para astronomía, física nuclear y de partículas y otros campos de investigación de vanguardia.
“IDOM se enorgullece de trabajar en este proyecto de clase mundial. Nuestro equipo multidisciplinario de ingenieros está bien posicionado para resolver los desafíos técnicos y prácticos de esta complicada maquinaria”, dijo Tom Lorentz, presidente de operaciones de IDOM para Estados Unidos. “El equipo de IDOM combina una experiencia de diseño y gestión de la construcción de clase mundial en estructuras móviles grandes y complejas, con conocimiento de primera mano de las prácticas y capacidades de construcción civil y específicas de los contratistas locales chilenos”. IDOM ha realizado contribuciones notables al diseño y construcción de instalaciones astronómicas, incluido el desarrollo de componentes para el Gran Telescopio de Canarias, la cúpula y los sistemas térmicos para el Telescopio Solar Daniel K. Inouye, una consultoría para el Telescopio de Treinta Metros, el diseño para el Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer y el diseño conceptual del Telescopio Europeo Extremadamente Grande.
Diseñado para la resiliencia Cross section of the Giant Magellan Telescope enclosure, pier, and mountEl edificio de 65 metros de altura del Telescopio Magallanes Gigante debe superar dos desafíos clave para proteger sus espejos gigantes: los terremotos extremos y el clima. El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante se está construyendo en el Observatorio Las Campanas, en el desierto de Atacama en Chile, uno de los desiertos más secos y con mayor actividad sísmica del mundo. Con un promedio de seis terremotos cada mes, el lugar expondrá el telescopio y el edificio a eventos sísmicos regulares. El diseño del recinto proporciona al pilar del telescopio un sistema de aislamiento sísmico que puede soportar a los terremotos más intensos que se esperan durante los 50 años de vida útil del observatorio y permitirá que el telescopio vuelva a funcionar rápidamente después de los eventos sísmicos más frecuentes, pero menos intensos, que se presenten varias veces al mes. El clima extremo del desierto también requiere un sistema de control climático robusto para evitar que los fuertes vientos y los cambios de temperatura afecten los espejos gigantes del telescopio y las tecnologías ópticas avanzadas. Estos sistemas automatizados son capaces de proteger el telescopio de los cambios de temperatura diarios, para proporcionar un entorno de observación óptimo durante toda la noche.
Un enfoque en la eficiencia y la sostenibilidadIncluso antes de que la pandemia mundial creara desafíos sin precedentes en la cadena de suministro y escasez de materiales, la eficiencia en la fabricación y logística ya era una prioridad en el proceso de diseño del edificio del telescopio. Como tal, el diseño utilizará una variedad de enfoques de construcción, utilizando materiales y mano de obra local, para controlar los costos y minimizar la huella de carbono de construcción y operación.
IDOM diseñará el edificio del Telescopio Magallanes Gigante para que sea lo más sustentable posible, utilizando las últimas tecnologías y prácticas de diseño ambiental. El sitio de construcción actualmente depende del Sistema Eléctrico Nacional de Chile, que se abastece principalmente de energía renovable. La Corporación GMTO planea construir su propia línea eléctrica para conectarse a la red chilena, aprovechando así las fuentes de energía renovable existentes. Las instalaciones del observatorio emplearán tecnologías eficientes en energía y agua, incluyendo un sistema de recuperación y tratamiento de aguas grises para reducir significativamente el uso de agua.
IDOM es una empresa global privada de ingeniería, arquitectura y consultoría, con más de 4.000 empleados y 45 oficinas en todo el mundo, incluidas oficinas en Minneapolis y Atlanta en Estados Unidos, y en Bilbao, España. Para obtener más información sobre IDOM, visite idom.com/en.
El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante es el trabajo de un consorcio internacional de universidades e instituciones de investigación líderes que representan a cinco países. Para obtener más información, visite gmto.org.
Contacto de Prensa Oscar Contreras-Villarroel Director de Relaciones Externas en Chile ocontreras@giantmagellan.org +56 9 9150 4292 MultimediaMultimedia assets and media usage statement available here until April 7, 2022.
The post El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante otorga a IDOM el diseño final del edificio del telescopio appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
Giant Magellan Telescope Awards IDOM Final Design of its Telescope Enclosure
Renowned engineering and architecture firm, IDOM, faces rigorous design requirements of the Giant Magellan Telescope’s enclosure to allow for unobstructed observations of the night sky.
PASADENA, CA — The Giant Magellan Telescope today announced they have awarded IDOM, a renowned engineering and architecture firm based in Spain, a contract to complete the telescope enclosure design by 2024. The award follows an extensive enclosure designer evaluation and selection process based on a detailed set of criteria involving design team experience, proposed approaches to specific design challenges, incorporation of safety management in the design process, and more.
Designing the 4,800 metric ton upper enclosure will be a particularly challenging engineering feat, as it will need to protect the telescope’s giant mirrors from extreme earthquakes and weather, modulate wind speeds and temperatures, and reveal seven of the world’s largest mirrors for unobstructed science observations of the night sky. The enclosure design will also utilize the latest technologies and construction practices to be as sustainable as possible. Once operational in the late 2020s, the Giant Magellan Telescope will produce the sharpest and most detailed images ever taken of our universe — ten times greater than the famed Hubble Space Telescope and four times the James Webb Space Telescope.
“Following an extensive designer evaluation, IDOM proved to have the necessary knowledge, experience, and expertise to solve the design challenges associated with the environmental conditions at the telescope site, especially the local seismic and weather conditions,” said Dr. Bruce Bigelow, the Giant Magellan Telescope’s Site, Enclosure, and Facilities Manager. “Adding the size, functionality, and environmental conditions to the design challenge, efficient manufacturing, especially off-site and modular construction, are key aspects to making the construction of the enclosure safe, reliable, and affordable. We’re delighted to work with IDOM to make the enclosure design a reality.”
Headquartered in Bilbao, Spain, IDOM has 45 offices around the world providing global design solutions for a broad portion of the built environment. Leading the enclosure design is IDOM’s Advanced Design and Analysis group. Their engineers develop special and moveable structures, test systems, instruments and facilities for astronomers, nuclear and particle physicists, and other advanced research fields.
”IDOM is proud to be working on this world-class project. Our multi-discipline team of engineers is well positioned to solve both the technical and practical challenges of this complicated machine,” said Tom Lorentz, IDOM’s President of US Operations. “The IDOM team combines world-class design and construction management experience in large and complex movable structures, with first-hand knowledge of civil and site-specific construction practices and capabilities of the local Chilean contractors.” IDOM has made remarkable contributions to the design and construction of astronomical facilities, including the development of components for the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the enclosure and thermal systems for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, consulting for the Thirty Meter Telescope, design for the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer, and the conceptual design for the European Extremely Large Telescope.
Designed for Resilience Cross section of the Giant Magellan Telescope enclosure, pier, and mountThe Giant Magellan Telescope’s 65-meter-tall enclosure must overcome two key challenges in protecting its giant mirrors — extreme earthquakes and weather. The Giant Magellan Telescope is being constructed at Las Campanas Observatory in the Chilean Atacama Desert, one of the driest deserts and most seismically active regions in the world. Averaging six earthquakes every month, the site will expose the telescope and enclosure to regular seismic events. The enclosure design provides the telescope pier with a seismic isolation system that can survive the strongest earthquakes expected over the 50-year lifetime of the observatory and will allow the telescope to quickly return to operations after the more frequent, but less intense seismic events that are experienced several times per month. The desert’s extreme weather also requires a robust climate control system to keep high winds and temperature changes from impacting the telescope’s giant mirrors and advanced optical technologies. These automated systems are capable of protecting the telescope from daily temperature swings, to provide an optimal observing environment all night long.
A Focus on Efficiency and SustainabilityEven before the global pandemic created unprecedented supply chain challenges and materials shortages, efficient manufacturing and logistics have remained the priority in the enclosure design process. As such, the enclosure design will use a variety of constructability approaches, utilizing both local materials and a local workforce, to control costs and minimize construction and operational carbon footprints.
IDOM will design the Giant Magellan Telescope’s enclosure to be as sustainable as possible, using the latest technologies and environmental design practices. The construction site currently relies on the Chilean National Electric System, which is predominately supplied by renewable energy. The GMTO Corporation plans to build its own powerline to connect to the Chilean grid, to take advantage of existing renewable energy sources. The completed observatory facilities will employ energy and water efficient technologies, including a greywater treatment and recovery systems to significantly reduce water usage.
IDOM is a privately held, global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm, with more than 4,000 employees and 45 offices around the world, including US locations in Minneapolis and Atlanta and headquarters in Bilbao, Spain. To learn more about IDOM, visit idom.com/en.
The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of an international consortium of leading universities and research institutions representing five countries. To learn more, visit gmto.org.
Media Contact Ryan Kallabis Director of Communications rkallabis@gmto.org +1-(626)-204-0554 MultimediaMultimedia assets and media usage statement available here until April 7, 2022.
The post Giant Magellan Telescope Awards IDOM Final Design of its Telescope Enclosure appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante otorga a IDOM el diseño final del edificio del telescopio
La renombrada firma de ingeniería y arquitectura IDOM, enfrentará los rigurosos requisitos de diseño del edificio (cúpula) que le permitirá al Telescopio Magallanes Gigante observar sin obstrucciones el cielo nocturno.
PASADENA, CA — El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante anunció hoy su decisión de adjudicar a IDOM, una renombrada firma de ingeniería y arquitectura con sede en España, el contrato para completar el diseño del edificio del telescopio para 2024. La adjudicación se basa en un extenso proceso de selección y evaluación de los diseños presentados, en el que se consideró un conjunto de criterios relacionados con la experiencia del equipo de diseño, soluciones propuestas para desafíos de diseño específicos, incorporación de la gestión de la seguridad en el proceso de diseño y más.
Diseñar este edificio, que supera las 4.800 toneladas métricas, será toda una hazaña de la ingeniería, ya que deberá proteger los espejos gigantes del telescopio de terremotos y condiciones climáticas extremas, modular la velocidad del viento y la temperatura, y permitir que siete de los espejos más grandes del mundo realicen observaciones científicas del cielo nocturno sin obstrucciones. El diseño del edificio también utilizará las últimas tecnologías y prácticas de construcción para que sea lo más sustentable posible. Cuando entre en operaciones, a fines de la década, el Telescopio Magallanes Gigante producirá las imágenes más nítidas y detalladas jamás obtenidas de nuestro universo, diez veces mas nítidas a las obtenidas por el famoso Telescopio Espacial Hubble y cuatro veces las del Telescopio Espacial James Webb.
“Después de una extensa evaluación de los diseños presentados, IDOM demostró tener el conocimiento, la experiencia y la pericia necesarios para resolver los desafíos de diseño asociados con las condiciones ambientales en el sitio del telescopio, especialmente las condiciones climáticas y sísmicas del lugar”, indicó el Dr. Bruce Bigelow, Gerente del Sitio, Edificio e Instalaciones del Telescopio Magallanes Gigante. “Si agregamos el tamaño, la funcionalidad y las condiciones ambientales a los desafíos del diseño, una fabricación eficiente, que considere la construcción modular y fuera del sitio, resulta clave para que la construcción del edificio del telescopio sea segura, confiable y asequible. Estamos encantados de trabajar con IDOM para hacer realidad el diseño del edificio”.
Con sede en Bilbao (España), IDOM cuenta con 45 oficinas en todo el mundo que ofrecen soluciones de diseño global para una gran parte del área de la construcción. El diseño del edificio del telescopio estará a cargo del grupo de Diseño y Análisis Avanzado de IDOM. Sus ingenieros desarrollan estructuras especiales y móviles, sistemas de prueba, instrumentos e instalaciones para astronomía, física nuclear y de partículas y otros campos de investigación de vanguardia.
“IDOM se enorgullece de trabajar en este proyecto de clase mundial. Nuestro equipo multidisciplinario de ingenieros está bien posicionado para resolver los desafíos técnicos y prácticos de esta complicada maquinaria”, dijo Tom Lorentz, presidente de operaciones de IDOM para Estados Unidos. “El equipo de IDOM combina una experiencia de diseño y gestión de la construcción de clase mundial en estructuras móviles grandes y complejas, con conocimiento de primera mano de las prácticas y capacidades de construcción civil y específicas de los contratistas locales chilenos”. IDOM ha realizado contribuciones notables al diseño y construcción de instalaciones astronómicas, incluido el desarrollo de componentes para el Gran Telescopio de Canarias, la cúpula y los sistemas térmicos para el Telescopio Solar Daniel K. Inouye, una consultoría para el Telescopio de Treinta Metros, el diseño para el Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer y el diseño conceptual del Telescopio Europeo Extremadamente Grande.
Diseñado para la resiliencia Cross section of the Giant Magellan Telescope enclosure, pier, and mountEl edificio de 65 metros de altura del Telescopio Magallanes Gigante debe superar dos desafíos clave para proteger sus espejos gigantes: los terremotos extremos y el clima. El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante se está construyendo en el Observatorio Las Campanas, en el desierto de Atacama en Chile, uno de los desiertos más secos y con mayor actividad sísmica del mundo. Con un promedio de seis terremotos cada mes, el lugar expondrá el telescopio y el edificio a eventos sísmicos regulares. El diseño del recinto proporciona al pilar del telescopio un sistema de aislamiento sísmico que puede soportar a los terremotos más intensos que se esperan durante los 50 años de vida útil del observatorio y permitirá que el telescopio vuelva a funcionar rápidamente después de los eventos sísmicos más frecuentes, pero menos intensos, que se presenten varias veces al mes. El clima extremo del desierto también requiere un sistema de control climático robusto para evitar que los fuertes vientos y los cambios de temperatura afecten los espejos gigantes del telescopio y las tecnologías ópticas avanzadas. Estos sistemas automatizados son capaces de proteger el telescopio de los cambios de temperatura diarios, para proporcionar un entorno de observación óptimo durante toda la noche.
Un enfoque en la eficiencia y la sostenibilidadIncluso antes de que la pandemia mundial creara desafíos sin precedentes en la cadena de suministro y escasez de materiales, la eficiencia en la fabricación y logística ya era una prioridad en el proceso de diseño del edificio del telescopio. Como tal, el diseño utilizará una variedad de enfoques de construcción, utilizando materiales y mano de obra local, para controlar los costos y minimizar la huella de carbono de construcción y operación.
IDOM diseñará el edificio del Telescopio Magallanes Gigante para que sea lo más sustentable posible, utilizando las últimas tecnologías y prácticas de diseño ambiental. El sitio de construcción actualmente depende del Sistema Eléctrico Nacional de Chile, que se abastece principalmente de energía renovable. La Corporación GMTO planea construir su propia línea eléctrica para conectarse a la red chilena, aprovechando así las fuentes de energía renovable existentes. Las instalaciones del observatorio emplearán tecnologías eficientes en energía y agua, incluyendo un sistema de recuperación y tratamiento de aguas grises para reducir significativamente el uso de agua.
IDOM es una empresa global privada de ingeniería, arquitectura y consultoría, con más de 4.000 empleados y 45 oficinas en todo el mundo, incluidas oficinas en Minneapolis y Atlanta en Estados Unidos, y en Bilbao, España. Para obtener más información sobre IDOM, visite idom.com/en.
El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante es el trabajo de un consorcio internacional de universidades e instituciones de investigación líderes que representan a cinco países. Para obtener más información, visite gmto.org.
Media Contact Ryan Kallabis Director of Communications rkallabis@gmto.org +1-(626)-204-0554 MultimediaMultimedia assets and media usage statement available here until April 7, 2022.
The post El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante otorga a IDOM el diseño final del edificio del telescopio appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
The Year in Photos 2021
The year 2021 opened with progress for the Giant Magellan Telescope. Construction continued in Chile on Las Campanas Peak, key technologies were prototyped and tested, the sixth primary mirror was successfully cast, a new Founder joined the international consortium, and the United States astronomical community ranked the telescope as the top frontier project for ground-based observatories over the next decade.
This is our story of 2021 told visually.
January Credit: WSPFollowing health and safety regulations, workers returned to the Giant Magellan Telescope construction site at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. During March 2020, the pandemic halted site construction progress. Now, at 20% occupancy, work resumed on the water and utility infrastructure.
February Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation, Damien JemisonShown from underneath one of the Giant Magellan Telescope’s primary mirror cells (the large structure that supports the giant 8.4-meter mirrors), three-legged devices known as triple actuators were installed for testing. The actuators will correct for gravity and thermal deformations when the telescope is in operation and are part of the primary mirror active optics system.
March Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation, Damien JemisonMarking a major step towards completion of the Giant Magellan Telescope, the sixth of seven of the world’s largest monolithic mirrors was cast. The 8.4-meter mirror — about two stories high when standing on edge — was fabricated at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab and will take nearly four years to complete.
April Credit: Ingersoll Machine ToolsIngersoll Machine Tools hosted a major ground breaking event to mark the start of construction of a 40,000 square foot facility in Rockford, Illinois. The facility will be used to manufacture, assemble, and test the Giant Magellan Telescope mount before it is shipped to Chile. Along with our president Robert Shelton, distinguished speakers at the event included Congressman Adam Kinzinger, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara.
May Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation, Francisco TapiaAnother breathtaking sunrise over the Giant Magellan Telescope site on Las Campanas Peak at Las Campanas Observatory, one of the highest and driest regions on Earth. With an altitude of over 8,500 feet, the location offers key advantages for seeing through the atmosphere.
June Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation, Damien JemisonThree months after casting and annealing, the Giant Magellan Telescope’s sixth primary mirror segment was unveiled. The mirror will now undergo inspection and cleaning before being carefully lifted from the furnace floor and moved across the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona into the integration hall for rear-surface generation and eventually polishing.
July Credit: UnknownChile’s Minister of Science, Andrés Couve, visited the Giant Magellan Telescope site at the Las Campanas Observatory for a closer look at construction progress. They were joined by the Seremi of Science of the North Macrozone, Daniela Barría and briefed on the environmental, health, and safety measures taken by our team during the COVID-19 pandemic.
August Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope — GMTO Corporation, Francisco TapiaThe Giant Magellan Telescope site was swept with a rare winter storm in the Chilean Atacama Desert.
September Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation, Damien JemisonThe Chilean Ambassador to the United States, Alfonso Silva, toured of the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona to view how the world’s largest mirrors are fabricated for the Giant Magellan Telescope. Accompanying Ambassador Silva were three journalists from Chile, representing El Mercurio and CNN Chile. The visit was the first time a Chilean diplomat and Chilean Journalists witnessed the crafting of our mirrors firsthand.
OctoberThe Giant Magellan Telescope welcomed the Weizmann Institute of Science into its international consortium of universities and research institutions from five countries. Before officially joining, faculty at the Weizmann Institute of Science were already helping to build one of the first scientific instruments for the telescope. The spectrograph will study Earth-like planets around solar-type stars. The new partnership reinforces that completing the largest and most powerful Gregorian optical-infrared telescope ever engineered is a top priority for the global scientific community.
November Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO CorporationThe highly anticipated decadal survey, Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s (Astro2020), presented comprehensive recommendations for making strategic federal investments critical to achieving transformational advances in US astronomy over the next decade. The report ranked the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP) as the top frontier project for ground-based observatories, recommending federal support for the final construction stages of the Giant Magellan Telescope.
December Credit: Ingersoll Machine ToolsIngersoll Machine Tools placed the last steel beam on the high-bay manufacturing and assembly space that will fabricate the Giant Magellan Telescope’s 1,800-ton telescope mount. The newly minted buildings are part of a 40,000 square foot expansion of Ingersoll’s Illinois campus that commenced in March 2021.
The Universe Awaits for 2022!The post The Year in Photos 2021 appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
The Year in Photos 2021
The year 2021 opened with progress for the Giant Magellan Telescope. Construction continued in Chile on Las Campanas Peak, key technologies were prototyped and tested, the sixth primary mirror was successfully cast, a new Founder joined the international consortium, and the United States astronomical community ranked the telescope as the top frontier project for ground-based observatories over the next decade.
This is our story of 2021 told visually.
January Credit: WSPFollowing health and safety regulations, workers returned to the Giant Magellan Telescope construction site at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. During March 2020, the pandemic halted site construction progress. Now, at 20% occupancy, work resumed on the water and utility infrastructure.
February Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation, Damien JemisonShown from underneath one of the Giant Magellan Telescope’s primary mirror cells (the large structure that supports the giant 8.4-meter mirrors), three-legged devices known as triple actuators were installed for testing. The actuators will correct for gravity and thermal deformations when the telescope is in operation and are part of the primary mirror active optics system.
March Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation, Damien JemisonMarking a major step towards completion of the Giant Magellan Telescope, the sixth of seven of the world’s largest monolithic mirrors was cast. The 8.4-meter mirror — about two stories high when standing on edge — was fabricated at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab and will take nearly four years to complete.
April Credit: Ingersoll Machine ToolsIngersoll Machine Tools hosted a major ground breaking event to mark the start of construction of a 40,000 square foot facility in Rockford, Illinois. The facility will be used to manufacture, assemble, and test the Giant Magellan Telescope mount before it is shipped to Chile. Along with our president Robert Shelton, distinguished speakers at the event included Congressman Adam Kinzinger, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara.
May Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation, Francisco TapiaAnother breathtaking sunrise over the Giant Magellan Telescope site on Las Campanas Peak at Las Campanas Observatory, one of the highest and driest regions on Earth. With an altitude of over 8,500 feet, the location offers key advantages for seeing through the atmosphere.
June Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation, Damien JemisonThree months after casting and annealing, the Giant Magellan Telescope’s sixth primary mirror segment was unveiled. The mirror will now undergo inspection and cleaning before being carefully lifted from the furnace floor and moved across the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona into the integration hall for rear-surface generation and eventually polishing.
July Credit: UnknownChile’s Minister of Science, Andrés Couve, visited the Giant Magellan Telescope site at the Las Campanas Observatory for a closer look at construction progress. They were joined by the Seremi of Science of the North Macrozone, Daniela Barría and briefed on the environmental, health, and safety measures taken by our team during the COVID-19 pandemic.
August Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope — GMTO Corporation, Francisco TapiaThe Giant Magellan Telescope site was swept with a rare winter storm in the Chilean Atacama Desert.
September Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation, Damien JemisonThe Chilean Ambassador to the United States, Alfonso Silva, toured of the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona to view how the world’s largest mirrors are fabricated for the Giant Magellan Telescope. Accompanying Ambassador Silva were three journalists from Chile, representing El Mercurio and CNN Chile. The visit was the first time a Chilean diplomat and Chilean Journalists witnessed the crafting of our mirrors firsthand.
OctoberThe Giant Magellan Telescope welcomed the Weizmann Institute of Science into its international consortium of universities and research institutions from five countries. Before officially joining, faculty at the Weizmann Institute of Science were already helping to build one of the first scientific instruments for the telescope. The spectrograph will study Earth-like planets around solar-type stars. The new partnership reinforces that completing the largest and most powerful Gregorian optical-infrared telescope ever engineered is a top priority for the global scientific community.
November Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO CorporationThe highly anticipated decadal survey, Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s (Astro2020), presented comprehensive recommendations for making strategic federal investments critical to achieving transformational advances in US astronomy over the next decade. The report ranked the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP) as the top frontier project for ground-based observatories, recommending federal support for the final construction stages of the Giant Magellan Telescope.
December Credit: Ingersoll Machine ToolsIngersoll Machine Tools placed the last steel beam on the high-bay manufacturing and assembly space that will fabricate the Giant Magellan Telescope’s 1,800-ton telescope mount. The newly minted buildings are part of a 40,000 square foot expansion of Ingersoll’s Illinois campus that commenced in March 2021.
The Universe Awaits for 2022!The post The Year in Photos 2021 appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
The Year in Photos 2021
The year 2021 opened with progress for the Giant Magellan Telescope. Construction continued in Chile on Las Campanas Peak, key technologies were prototyped and tested, the sixth primary mirror was successfully cast, a new Founder joined the international consortium, and the United States astronomical community ranked the telescope as the top frontier project for ground-based observatories over the next decade.
This is our story of 2021 told visually.
JanuaryFollowing health and safety regulations, workers returned to the Giant Magellan Telescope construction site at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. During March 2020, the pandemic halted site construction progress. Now, at 20% occupancy, work resumed on the water and utility infrastructure.
FebruaryShown from underneath one of the Giant Magellan Telescope’s primary mirror cells (the large structure that supports the giant 8.4-meter mirrors), three-legged devices known as triple actuators were installed for testing. The actuators will correct for gravity and thermal deformations when the telescope is in operation and are part of the primary mirror active optics system.
MarchMarking a major step towards completion of the Giant Magellan Telescope, the sixth of seven of the world’s largest monolithic mirrors was cast. The 8.4-meter mirror — about two stories high when standing on edge — was fabricated at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab and will take nearly four years to complete.
AprilIngersoll Machine Tools hosted a major ground breaking event to mark the start of construction of a 40,000 square foot facility in Rockford, Illinois. The facility will be used to manufacture, assemble, and test the Giant Magellan Telescope mount before it is shipped to Chile.
Along with our president Robert Shelton, distinguished speakers at the event included Congressman Adam Kinzinger, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara.
MayAnother breathtaking sunrise over the Giant Magellan Telescope site on Las Campanas Peak at Las Campanas Observatory, one of the highest and driest regions on Earth. With an altitude of over 8,500 feet, the location offers key advantages for seeing through the atmosphere.
JuneThree months after casting and annealing, the Giant Magellan Telescope’s sixth primary mirror segment was unveiled. The mirror will now undergo inspection and cleaning before being carefully lifted from the furnace floor and moved across the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona into the integration hall for rear-surface generation and eventually polishing.
JulyChile’s Minister of Science, Andrés Couve, visited the Giant Magellan Telescope site at the Las Campanas Observatory for a closer look at construction progress. They were joined by the Seremi of Science of the North Macrozone, Daniela Barría and briefed on the environmental, health, and safety measures taken by our team during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AugustThe Giant Magellan Telescope site was swept with a rare winter storm in the Chilean Atacama Desert.
SeptemberThe Chilean Ambassador to the United States, Alfonso Silva, toured of the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona to view how the world’s largest mirrors are fabricated for the Giant Magellan Telescope. Accompanying Ambassador Silva were three journalists from Chile, representing El Mercurio and CNN Chile.
The visit was the first time a Chilean diplomat and Chilean Journalists witnessed the crafting of our mirrors firsthand.
OctoberThe Giant Magellan Telescope welcomed the Weizmann Institute of Science into its international consortium of universities and research institutions from five countries. Before officially joining, faculty at the Weizmann Institute of Science were already helping to build one of the first scientific instruments for the telescope. The spectrograph will study Earth-like planets around solar-type stars.
The new partnership reinforces that completing the largest and most powerful Gregorian optical-infrared telescope ever engineered is a top priority for the global scientific community.
NovemberThe highly anticipated decadal survey, Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s (Astro2020), presented comprehensive recommendations for making strategic federal investments critical to achieving transformational advances in US astronomy over the next decade. The report ranked the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP) as the top frontier project for ground-based observatories, recommending federal support for the final construction stages of the Giant Magellan Telescope.
DecemberIngersoll Machine Tools placed the last steel beam on the high-bay manufacturing and assembly space that will fabricate the Giant Magellan Telescope’s 1,800-ton telescope mount. The newly minted buildings are part of a 40,000 square foot expansion of Ingersoll’s Illinois campus that commenced in March 2021.
The Universe Awaits for 2022!
The post The Year in Photos 2021 appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
US Extremely Large Telescope Program Ranked As Top Astro2020 Initiative
The 2020 United States Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, a foundational report that outlines strategic scientific priorities and investments over the next ten years, prioritized the US Extremely Large Telescope Program as mission critical for advancing our understanding of the universe.
PASADENA, CA — The highly anticipated decadal survey, Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s (Astro2020), presented comprehensive recommendations for making strategic federal investments critical to achieving transformational advances in US astronomy over the next decade. The report ranked the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP) as the top frontier project for ground-based observatories, recommending federal support for the final construction stages of the Giant Magellan Telescope. The recommendation detailed that building an extremely large telescope “is absolutely essential if the United States is to maintain a position as a leader in ground-based astronomy.”
“We are incredibly honored to be ranked as a top priority in the decadal survey and are grateful for the many scientists who engaged in the process,” said Robert Shelton, president of the Giant Magellan Telescope. “This endorsement solidifies the scientific momentum that our founding consortium of international universities and research institutions pioneered years ago. After all, we designed the Giant Magellan Telescope to discover the unknown, and it’s the unimaginable discoveries that could change humanity forever.”
The Giant Magellan Telescope was evaluated in Astro2020 as a core partner of the US-ELTP. The goal of the program is for the NSF’s NOIRLab to provide US-based astronomers with full sky observing access to the Giant Magellan Telescope in the Southern Hemisphere and the Thirty Meter Telescope in the Northern Hemisphere. The US-ELTP was viewed by Astro2020 as a visionary program that will enable collaborative, inclusive, and transformational research in nearly all areas of astrophysics — from understanding the fundamental nature of the universe to the search for life on distant exoplanets. Read the US-ELTP’s official statement on Astro2020.
“We are proud to be part of the US Extremely Large Telescope Program and its bold vision to provide full-sky access to the astronomical community,” said Walter Massey, board chair of the Giant Magellan Telescope and former director of the National Science Foundation. “A heartfelt congratulations to both the Thirty Meter Telescope and NOIRLab. This strong recommendation is the result of many years of hard work. It is a great time to support and join our inspirational project and help secure access to these amazing telescopes for decades to come.”
The 25.4-meter aperture Giant Magellan Telescope is positioned to put a federal investment to good use. Construction is well underway at Las Campanas Observatory at the southern edge of Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the best locations on Earth to explore the heavens. The project has completed hard rock excavation for the foundation and support infrastructure, cast six of seven primary mirrors, begun fabricating its first adaptive secondary mirror, and has already secured a subaward from the National Science Foundation to accelerate the prototyping and testing of some of the most powerful optical and infrared technologies ever engineered.
Astro2020 highlights the Giant Magellan Telescope’s 368 square meter light collecting power, unmatched 20-arcminute field of view, advanced adaptive optics system, and high-resolution spectroscopic and diffraction-limited imaging capabilities. The report emphasizes that the “capabilities can be brought to bear on nearly all of the important science questions laid out by this decadal survey, across all three of our key science themes.” These inspiring scientific priorities include pathways to habitable worlds, new windows on the dynamic universe, and drivers of galaxy growth. The recommendation also stated that the US-ELTP “provides observational capabilities unmatched in space or the ground and opens an enormous discovery space for new observations and discoveries not yet anticipated.”
The Giant Magellan Telescope’s international consortium is deeply gratified by the enormous global support received from the scientific and philanthropic communities. The consortium would also like to recognize the ngVLA and CMB-S4 teams on their strong Astro2020 endorsements. Together, the recommendations will help build vibrant opportunities in astronomy and contribute to significant science discoveries for the 2030s and beyond.
The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of an international consortium of leading universities and research institutions representing five countries. To learn more, visit gmto.org.
Contacto de Prensa Oscar Contreras-Villarroel Director de Relaciones Externas en Chile ocontreras@giantmagellan.org +56 9 9150 4292 MultimediaMultimedia assets and media usage statement available here until April 7, 2022.
The post US Extremely Large Telescope Program Ranked As Top Astro2020 Initiative appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
US Extremely Large Telescope Program Ranked As Top Astro2020 Initiative
The 2020 United States Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, a foundational report that outlines strategic scientific priorities and investments over the next ten years, prioritized the US Extremely Large Telescope Program as mission critical for advancing our understanding of the universe.
PASADENA, CA — The highly anticipated decadal survey, Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s (Astro2020), presented comprehensive recommendations for making strategic federal investments critical to achieving transformational advances in US astronomy over the next decade. The report ranked the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP) as the top frontier project for ground-based observatories, recommending federal support for the final construction stages of the Giant Magellan Telescope. The recommendation detailed that building an extremely large telescope “is absolutely essential if the United States is to maintain a position as a leader in ground-based astronomy.”
“We are incredibly honored to be ranked as a top priority in the decadal survey and are grateful for the many scientists who engaged in the process,” said Robert Shelton, president of the Giant Magellan Telescope. “This endorsement solidifies the scientific momentum that our founding consortium of international universities and research institutions pioneered years ago. After all, we designed the Giant Magellan Telescope to discover the unknown, and it’s the unimaginable discoveries that could change humanity forever.”
The Giant Magellan Telescope was evaluated in Astro2020 as a core partner of the US-ELTP. The goal of the program is for the NSF’s NOIRLab to provide US-based astronomers with full sky observing access to the Giant Magellan Telescope in the Southern Hemisphere and the Thirty Meter Telescope in the Northern Hemisphere. The US-ELTP was viewed by Astro2020 as a visionary program that will enable collaborative, inclusive, and transformational research in nearly all areas of astrophysics — from understanding the fundamental nature of the universe to the search for life on distant exoplanets. Read the US-ELTP’s official statement on Astro2020.
“We are proud to be part of the US Extremely Large Telescope Program and its bold vision to provide full-sky access to the astronomical community,” said Walter Massey, board chair of the Giant Magellan Telescope and former director of the National Science Foundation. “A heartfelt congratulations to both the Thirty Meter Telescope and NOIRLab. This strong recommendation is the result of many years of hard work. It is a great time to support and join our inspirational project and help secure access to these amazing telescopes for decades to come.”
The 24.5-meter aperture Giant Magellan Telescope is positioned to put a federal investment to good use. Construction is well underway at Las Campanas Observatory at the southern edge of Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the best locations on Earth to explore the heavens. The project has completed hard rock excavation for the foundation and support infrastructure, cast six of seven primary mirrors, begun fabricating its first adaptive secondary mirror, and has already secured a subaward from the National Science Foundation to accelerate the prototyping and testing of some of the most powerful optical and infrared technologies ever engineered.
Astro2020 highlights the Giant Magellan Telescope’s 368 square meter light collecting power, unmatched 25-arcminute field of view, advanced adaptive optics system, and high-resolution spectroscopic and diffraction-limited imaging capabilities. The report emphasizes that the “capabilities can be brought to bear on nearly all of the important science questions laid out by this decadal survey, across all three of our key science themes.” These inspiring scientific priorities include pathways to habitable worlds, new windows on the dynamic universe, and drivers of galaxy growth. The recommendation also stated that the US-ELTP “provides observational capabilities unmatched in space or the ground and opens an enormous discovery space for new observations and discoveries not yet anticipated.”
The Giant Magellan Telescope’s international consortium is deeply gratified by the enormous global support received from the scientific and philanthropic communities. The consortium would also like to recognize the ngVLA and CMB-S4 teams on their strong Astro2020 endorsements. Together, the recommendations will help build vibrant opportunities in astronomy and contribute to significant science discoveries for the 2030s and beyond.
The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of an international consortium of leading universities and research institutions representing five countries. To learn more, visit gmto.org.
Media Contact Ryan Kallabis, Director of Communications Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation rkallabis@gmto.org +1-(626)-204-0554 MultimediaMultimedia assets and media usage statement available here.
Background information on the US-ELTP is available here.
The post US Extremely Large Telescope Program Ranked As Top Astro2020 Initiative appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s
For more than sixty years the Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey has presented comprehensive recommendations for making strategic federal investments that are critical to achieving transformational advances in US astronomy. For the 2020s, the Giant Magellan Telescope was evaluated as a core partner in the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP) and is issuing this statement:
The US Extremely Large Telescope Program is grateful for the Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy & Astrophysics for the 2020s Decadal Survey process and is now reviewing the recommendations in detail. The Decadal Survey has a rich history of driving technological innovation and expanding scientific boundaries, and we are proud to be part of that story. Our visionary program aims to provide US astronomers with nationally-funded observing access to the entire sky. The program consists of three partners: NSF’s NOIRLab and the two organizations building the Giant Magellan Telescope and the Thirty Meter Telescope.
We thank the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for leading the Pathways to Discovery Decadal Survey, and to all members of our community who wrote white papers, sat on panels, provided expert input, and devoted time to the Decadal Survey process. We would also like to honor the international partners whose early and ongoing contributions have been crucial in conceiving, designing, and building the Giant Magellan Telescope and Thirty Meter Telescope.
We will be issuing detailed statements about the Pathways to Discovery Decadal Survey recommendations soon.
To learn more about the US-ELTP and read our official statement, visit noirlab.edu/us-eltp
To learn more about the Pathways to Discovery report, visit the National Academies website.
The post Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s
For more than sixty years the Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey has presented comprehensive recommendations for making strategic federal investments that are critical to achieving transformational advances in US astronomy. For the 2020s, the Giant Magellan Telescope was evaluated as a core partner in the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP) and is issuing this statement:
The US Extremely Large Telescope Program is grateful for the Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy & Astrophysics for the 2020s Decadal Survey process and is now reviewing the recommendations in detail. The Decadal Survey has a rich history of driving technological innovation and expanding scientific boundaries, and we are proud to be part of that story. Our visionary program aims to provide US astronomers with nationally-funded observing access to the entire sky. The program consists of three partners: NSF’s NOIRLab and the two organizations building the Giant Magellan Telescope and the Thirty Meter Telescope.
We thank the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for leading the Pathways to Discovery Decadal Survey, and to all members of our community who wrote white papers, sat on panels, provided expert input, and devoted time to the Decadal Survey process. We would also like to honor the international partners whose early and ongoing contributions have been crucial in conceiving, designing, and building the Giant Magellan Telescope and Thirty Meter Telescope.
We will be issuing detailed statements about the Pathways to Discovery Decadal Survey recommendations soon.
To learn more about the US-ELTP and read our official statement, visit noirlab.edu/us-eltp
To learn more about the Pathways to Discovery report, visit the National Academies website.
The post Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.
A Significant Milestone
The GMT Science Case has evolved over the course of the project. It has been influenced by the 2010 Decadal Survey’s report “New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics” but has been updated to reflect new discoveries and scientific priorities. The 2018 version of the GMT Science Book is now available. The GMT Science Book focuses on those areas of frontier science best explored with a large aperture ground-based telescope. The book describes the transformative impact that the GMT will have on areas spanning observational astrophysics—from exoplanets around neighboring stars to the formation of the first, most distant stars, galaxies, and black holes in the universe. The first chapter also describes the GMT itself, explaining its unique design and capabilities, including the first-generation instrument suite that has been chosen to maximize the GMT’s scientific impact during early operations. This book is accessible to a wide audience.
Exoplanet Science Strategy – NASEM report 2018The GMT Science Requirements for the telescope and associated instruments and facilities flow from the scientific priorities listed in the GMT Science Book. These requirements are used to optimize the telescope design and development process, and to define the goals and requirements for the GMT first generation instruments.
This timelapse shows several stages of the mirror casting process for segment five, including creating the light-weighted mirror mold, loading nearly 20 tons of glass into the mold, and the furnace spinning during “high fire.” Credit: Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, The University of Arizona and the Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation. Find more details in the Science BookThe GMT Science Case has evolved over the course of the project. It has been influenced by the 2010 Decadal Survey’s report “New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics” but has been updated to reflect new discoveries and scientific priorities. The 2018 version of the GMT Science Book is now available. The GMT Science Book focuses on those areas of frontier science best explored with a large aperture ground-based telescope. The book describes the transformative impact that the GMT will have on areas spanning observational astrophysics—from exoplanets around neighboring stars to the formation of the first, most distant stars, galaxies, and black holes in the universe. The first chapter also describes the GMT itself, explaining its unique design and capabilities, including the first-generation instrument suite that has been chosen to maximize the GMT’s scientific impact during early operations. This book is accessible to a wide audience.
The Giant Magellan Telescope’s primary mirror segment five during reveal. Credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation. The Giant Magellan Telescope’s primary mirrors are fabricated with high-purity, low-expansion, borosilicate glass (called E6 glass) from the Ohara Corporation of Japan. Credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation. Media Contact Ryan Kallabis Director of Communications rkallabis@gmto.org (626) 204-0554 Multimedia Resources Download the resources • 1.2 GBMultimedia from the release and media usage statement are available from the GMTO Corporation here and from the University of Arizona here until March 20, 2021. Assets may not appear uncredited. Unless otherwise noted in media usage statement, credit line must be given as follows: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporatio
Weizmann Institute of Science Joins Giant Magellan Telescope, a Top Priority for Science Worldwide
Renowned research institution will advance the world’s most powerful telescope, strengthening international desire to see farther into space with more detail than ever before.
PASADENA, CA — On September 14, 2021, the GMTO Corporation welcomed the Weizmann Institute of Science into its international consortium of distinguished universities and research institutions building the Giant Magellan Telescope. The new partnership reinforces that completing the largest and most powerful Gregorian optical-infrared telescope ever engineered is a top priority for the global scientific community. The unprecedented abilities of the Giant Magellan Telescope coupled with the Weizmann Institute of Science’s world-leading scientific expertise and resources in astrophysics will revolutionize the way humanity understands the universe and our place in it.
GMTO Corporation international consortium map
“The addition of the Weizmann Institute of Science is a giant win for our international consortium,” said Walter Massey, board chair of the GMTO Corporation and former director of the National Science Foundation. “We just became stronger and more capable. We are now one step closer to pointing the world’s largest mirrors toward the heavens and unlocking its many cosmic secrets.”
The Weizmann Institute of Science is a distinguished multidisciplinary research institution from Israel. Their Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics promotes research in nearly all aspects of astronomy, expanding the Giant Magellan Telescope’s research capabilities by capitalizing on the Center’s outstanding team of astrophysicists and benefiting from renowned Israeli innovation. Before officially joining the GMTO Corporation, faculty at the Weizmann Institute of Science helped develop one of the first scientific instruments for the telescope, a spectrograph that is designed to study Earth-like planets around solar-type stars. Based on the institute’s leadership in astrophysics, particle physics and space mission design, the Weizmann Institute of Science, through its flagship initiative, aims to provide new levels of insight into the central questions of fundamental physics, while contributing to wide-ranging practical applications. The Giant Magellan Telescope is critical to the initiative.
“Joining the GMTO consortium is a huge leap forward for the Weizmann Institute of Science,” said Professor Avishay Gal-Yam, head of the Deloro Center for Space and Optics at the Weizmann Institute. “It is a privilege to join a global team on the forefront of astrophysics research, which will allow us to accelerate our own observatory capabilities, develop instruments that will elevate the way the world’s leading astrophysics teams explore the universe and share expertise with the top partners in the field of astrophysics.”
Construction of the next-generation telescope is well underway on Las Campanas Peak at the southern edge of Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the best locations on Earth to explore the universe. It will use seven of the world’s largest mirrors and the most advanced adaptive optics technology to see billions of lightyears into the universe with ten times the resolution of the famed Hubble Space Telescope. This extraordinary image clarity will enable scientists around the globe to obtain new clues to the fundamental nature and evolution of the universe — including the search for life on distant exoplanets.
The Weizmann Institute of Science is the thirteenth member of the GMTO Corporation, joining Arizona State University, Astronomy Australia Ltd., Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, and the University of Chicago. The international consortium anticipates commissioning the Giant Magellan Telescope in the late 2020s.
To learn more about the Weizmann Institute for Science, visit weizmann.ac.il. To learn more about the GMTO Corporation, the international nonprofit organization building the Giant Magellan Telescope, visit gmto.org.
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Media Contacts
Ryan Kallabis, Director of Communications
Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation
+1-(626)-204-0554, rkallabis@gmto.org
Dana Bernstein, Head of Communications
Weizmann Institute of Science
+972-(0)-8-934-3857, dana.bernstein@weizmann.ac.il
Multimedia
Multimedia assets and media usage statement available here until November 1, 2021.
Weizmann Institute of Science Joins Giant Magellan Telescope, a Top Priority for Science Worldwide
Renowned research institution will advance the world’s most powerful telescope, strengthening international desire to see farther into space with more detail than ever before.
PASADENA, CA — On September 14, 2021, the GMTO Corporation welcomed the Weizmann Institute of Science into its international consortium of distinguished universities and research institutions building the Giant Magellan Telescope. The new partnership reinforces that completing the largest and most powerful Gregorian optical-infrared telescope ever engineered is a top priority for the global scientific community. The unprecedented abilities of the Giant Magellan Telescope coupled with the Weizmann Institute of Science’s world-leading scientific expertise and resources in astrophysics will revolutionize the way humanity understands the universe and our place in it.
GMTO Corporation international consortium map“The addition of the Weizmann Institute of Science is a giant win for our international consortium,” said Walter Massey, board chair of the GMTO Corporation and former director of the National Science Foundation. “We just became stronger and more capable. We are now one step closer to pointing the world’s largest mirrors toward the heavens and unlocking its many cosmic secrets.”
The Weizmann Institute of Science is a distinguished multidisciplinary research institution from Israel. Their Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics promotes research in nearly all aspects of astronomy, expanding the Giant Magellan Telescope’s research capabilities by capitalizing on the Center’s outstanding team of astrophysicists and benefiting from renowned Israeli innovation. Before officially joining the GMTO Corporation, faculty at the Weizmann Institute of Science helped develop one of the first scientific instruments for the telescope, a spectrograph that is designed to study Earth-like planets around solar-type stars. Based on the institute’s leadership in astrophysics, particle physics and space mission design, the Weizmann Institute of Science, through its flagship initiative, aims to provide new levels of insight into the central questions of fundamental physics, while contributing to wide-ranging practical applications. The Giant Magellan Telescope is critical to the initiative.
“Joining the GMTO consortium is a huge leap forward for the Weizmann Institute of Science,” said Professor Avishay Gal-Yam, head of the Deloro Center for Space and Optics at the Weizmann Institute. “It is a privilege to join a global team on the forefront of astrophysics research, which will allow us to accelerate our own observatory capabilities, develop instruments that will elevate the way the world’s leading astrophysics teams explore the universe and share expertise with the top partners in the field of astrophysics.”
Construction of the next-generation telescope is well underway on Las Campanas Peak at the southern edge of Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the best locations on Earth to explore the universe. It will use seven of the world’s largest mirrors and the most advanced adaptive optics technology to see billions of lightyears into the universe with ten times the resolution of the famed Hubble Space Telescope. This extraordinary image clarity will enable scientists around the globe to obtain new clues to the fundamental nature and evolution of the universe — including the search for life on distant exoplanets.
The Weizmann Institute of Science is the thirteenth member of the GMTO Corporation, joining Arizona State University, Astronomy Australia Ltd., Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, and the University of Chicago. The international consortium anticipates commissioning the Giant Magellan Telescope in the late 2020s.
To learn more about the Weizmann Institute for Science, visit weizmann.ac.il. To learn more about the GMTO Corporation, the international nonprofit organization building the Giant Magellan Telescope, visit gmto.org.
Media Contacts Ryan Kallabis, Director of Communications Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation rkallabis@gmto.org +1-(626)-204-0554 MultimediaMultimedia assets and media usage statement available here until November 1, 2021.
El Instituto de Ciencias Weizmann se une al Telescopio Magallanes Gigante, una prioridad científica a nivel mundial
El prestigioso centro de investigación formará parte del telescopio más poderoso del mundo, contribuyendo a hacer realidad el anhelo internacional de ver más lejos en el espacio y con más detalles que nunca.
PASADENA, CA – El 14 de septiembre de 2021, GMTO Corporation dio la bienvenida al Instituto de Ciencias Weizmann como nuevo integrante del consorcio internacional de famosas universidades e instituciones de investigación que construyen el Telescopio Magallanes Gigante. La llegada de este nuevo socio reafirma que completar el telescopio óptico-infrarrojo gregoriano más grande y poderoso jamás diseñado, es una prioridad para la comunidad científica mundial. Las capacidades sin precedentes del Telescopio Magallanes Gigante, sumadas al liderazgo mundial del Instituto de Ciencias Weizmann en conocimiento científico y recursos en astrofísica, revolucionarán nuestra forma de comprender el universo y el lugar que ocupamos en él.
GMTO Corporation, mapa del consorcio internacional
“La incorporación del Instituto de Ciencias Weizmann es una gran victoria para nuestro consorcio internacional”, dijo Walter Massey, presidente del directorio de GMTO Corporation y ex director de la National Science Foundation (NSF). “Simplemente nos volvimos más fuertes y capaces. Ahora estamos un paso más cerca de apuntar los espejos más grandes del mundo hacia el cielo y descubrir muchos de sus secretos cósmicos”.
El Instituto de Ciencias Weizmann es una prestigiosa institución de investigación interdisciplinaria de Israel. Su Centro de Astrofísica Nella y Leon Benoziyo promueve la investigación en casi todas las áreas de la astronomía, permitiendo que el Telescopio Magallanes Gigante expanda sus capacidades y se beneficie de su destacado equipo de astrofísicos, así como de la reconocida innovación israelí. Antes de unirse oficialmente a GMTO Corporation, los investigadores del Instituto de Ciencias Weizmann ayudaron a desarrollar uno de los primeros instrumentos científicos para el telescopio, un espectrógrafo diseñado para estudiar planetas similares a la Tierra alrededor de estrellas de tipo solar. A través de esta emblemática iniciativa, y de su liderazgo en astrofísica y, física de partículas y diseño de misiones espaciales, el Instituto de Ciencias Weizmann busca alcanzar nuevos niveles de conocimiento sobre las principales interrogantes de la física fundamental, así como contribuir con una amplia gama de aplicaciones prácticas. El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante es crucial para esta iniciativa.
“Unirse al consorcio GMTO es un gran paso adelante para el Instituto de Ciencias Weizmann”, dijo el profesor Avishay Gal-Yam, director del Centro Deloro para el Espacio y la Óptica en el Instituto Weizmann. “Es un privilegio unirme a un equipo global de vanguardia en investigación en astrofísica, que nos permitirá acelerar nuestras propias capacidades de observación, desarrollar instrumentos que elevarán la forma en que los grupos líderes en este campo exploran el universo, y compartir experiencias con socios de primer nivel en el campo de la astrofísica”.
La construcción de este telescopio de última generación sigue avanzando en el cerro Las Campanas, en el extremo sur del desierto de Atacama en Chile, uno de los mejores lugares del planeta para explorar el universo. El Telescopio Magallanes Gigante utilizará siete de los espejos más grandes del mundo y la tecnología de óptica adaptativa más avanzada, para poder ver a miles de millones de años luz en el universo y lograr una resolución diez veces mayor que la del famoso Telescopio Espacial Hubble. Esta extraordinaria claridad de imagen permitirá a los científicos de todo el mundo obtener nuevas pistas sobre la naturaleza y evolución del universo, incluida la búsqueda de vida en exoplanetas lejanos.
El Instituto de Ciencias Weizmann es el decimotercer socio de GMTO Corporation, junto a Arizona State University, Astronomy Australia Ltd., Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP, Harvard University, Instituto de Astronomía y Ciencias Espaciales de Korea, Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona y University of Chicago. El consorcio internacional anticipa la entrada en operaciones del Telescopio Magallanes Gigante a fines de esta década.
Para obtener más información sobre el Instituto de Ciencias Weizmann, visite weizmann.ac.il.
Para obtener más información sobre GMTO Corporation, la organización internacional sin fines de lucro que construye el Telescopio Magallanes Gigante, visite gmto.org.
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Contacto para los medios
Valentina Rodriguez, Directora de Relaciones Externas en Chile
Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation
vrodriguez@gmto.org
Dana Bernstein, Head of Communications
Weizmann Institute of Science
+972-(0)-8-934-3857, dana.bernstein@weizmann.ac.il
Multimedia
Multimedia assets and media usage statement available here until November 1, 2021.
Rockford Company to Help Giant Telescope Reach for the Stars, Peek at the Universe
The post Rockford Company to Help Giant Telescope Reach for the Stars, Peek at the Universe appeared first on Giant Magellan Telescope.