The University of Arizona, in collaboration with a number of top US universities and international partners, is in the process of constructing a telescope that is much size than any existing optical/infrared telescope. The gain in collecting area or "aperture" leads to unprecedented gains in sensitivity, and, with the application of adaptive optics, gains in resolution - allowing the Giant Magellan Telescope to see farther and smaller objects than ever before. Steward Observatory plays a critical role in the project both by fabricating the large primary mirror segments and having generated the initial concept study for the telescope. Additionally, we continue to be actively involved in the development of the adaptive optics and instrumentation plans.
The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) will be one of the next class of super giant earth-based telescopes. It will be located at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. The GMT project is the work of an international consortium of universities and science institutions - including the University of Arizona.
| Location Specifications | |
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Longtitude |
-70.6922 |
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Latitude |
-29.0150 |
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Elevation |
8254 ft. |
| Telescope Specifications | |
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Aperture |
8.4 m per mirror |
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Focal Length |
18 m (M1), 202.745 m (M1+M2) |
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Mount |
Altitude/Azimuth |
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Additional Information on telescope specifications |
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Additional information regarding optical specifications |
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| Instruments | |
| The High Resolution Near-IR Spectrograph for the Giant Magellan Telescope | |
| A Mid-Infrared Imaging Spectrograph for the GMT | |
| Near Infrared Multiple Object Spectrograph | |
| The GMT Wide-Field Optical Spectrograph | |
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Additional information regarding science operations |
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