October 29, 2002
(PLANETQUEST) -- Dedication ceremonies were held in October for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), an innovative observatory that will use a pair of eyes to allow astronomers to see giant planets that today are hidden in the glare of distant stars.
From its vantage point at the summit of Mount Graham in Arizona, the LBT will take use its twin telescopes to remove a star's glare from view. In this technique, called interferometry, light from the target is received by each telescope and combined in such a way that the light waves "interfere" with each other, and ultimately cancel each other out. The resulting effect: The star practically disappears from view.
Once assembled, the LBT will resemble a face with a pair of enormous saucer eyes, gazing skyward in its quest to find faraway planets. The telescope's primary mirrors were crafted in a specially designed rotating oven at the University of Arizona Mirror Lab. The mirrors' combined resolution will be equal to that of a single mirror with a diameter of 75 feet! But despite this power, the LBT will only be able to see giant planets like Jupiter. NASA's long-range goal - the observation of Earth-size planets that could support life - will require a space mission.
In the meantime, the LBT may provide a glimpse of the mysterious worlds that surround us. Construction of the telescope is scheduled for completion in late 2005, with full science operations to begin a year later. But despite this power, the LBT will only be able to see giant planets, similar to Jupiter, outside our solar system. The interferometer project is funded by NASA and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
