Large Binocular Telescope

Description: Large Binocular TelescopeResearch Field: Astronomy/AstrophysicsThe world’s largest single telescope is being set up atop Mount Graham in Arizona at an elevation of 3,190 meters. This revolutionary instrument, called the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), is equipped with two light-collecting mirrors of 8.4 meters in diameter which can both be directed at a distant celestial body simultaneously, similar to a pair of binoculars. The three billion dollar observatory was planned and built by an international consortium. Five German institutes headed by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg make up a quarter of the group. Their contribution to the LBT project focuses on the development of new high-tech testing devices for the telescope. The information gathered through the scientists’ ground-breaking research will play a key role in the development of the next generation of telescopes.Copyright: © Deutsche WellePublished at ScienceStage.com in cooperation with the Max Planck Society.Involved Institutes:Max Planck Institute for AstronomyMax-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics