The Large Binocular Telescope Commemorates 20 Years of Space Science
The LBT 20th Anniversary event at Steward Observatory on April 13 featured a crowded lecture hall and fascinating conversations about the telescope’s history and future.
This year, 2024, marks the 20th anniversary of the dedication of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT): the largest single-mount telescope in the world. Last month, to mark the two-decade anniversary, the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory hosted a celebration at Steward Observatory and a discussion of the telescope’s impact on innovation and discovery—past, present and future. The event included panels discussing the history and development of the telescope, innovations that have continued to put the LBT at the forefront of space science, and science highlights from the telescope’s twenty years of operation—from quasar research to the quest for life-bearing planets. Watch a recording of the talks here. Attendees were also treated to a photography exhibit by photographer Renato Cerisola, titled “LBT: Twenty Years of Dedication and Passion.”
With its two mirrors on a common mount, yielding light collecting area equivalent to a single 11.8m-diameter aperture and resolution provided by a 22.8m edge-to-edge baseline, the LBT remains one of the most powerful optical/infrared telescopes in the world. The LBT has been a leader in advancing observational technology reflected in telescope design, adaptive optics capability, and instrumentation. With these attributes, the LBT is advancing the frontiers of scientific knowledge in areas including supernovae, galaxy evolution, extrasolar planets, and more.
Explore the event gallery below, capturing the packed lecture hall, Cerisola’s vivid photography, and a mountaintop tour of the LBT.
