March 30, 2004
(PLANETQUEST) -- The first of two huge primary mirrors has been installed in the Large Binocular Telescope, marking another important milestone in the construction of a ground-based instrument that will obtain some of the first images of planets around other stars.
The goal of the project is to construct a binocular telescope consisting of two 8.4-meter mirrors on a common mount. This telescope will be equivalent in light-gathering power to a single 11.8-meter instrument. Because of its binocular arrangement, the telescope will have a resolving power (ultimate image sharpness) corresponding to a 22.8-meter telescope.
A NASA-funded project will use the Large Binocular Telescope as a testbed to develop nulling and interferometry technologies. Nulling interferometry is a technique that cancels the overwhelming glare from a star by interference of light. This allows the detection of nearby planets or dust discs that would otherwise be obscured by the much brighter star. The technique is being studied in preparation for NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder mission.
Surveys of nearby stars for extrasolar planetary systems using the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer are scheduled to begin between 2006-2013.
