Next-Gen Megascope for Astronomy Taking shape on Chilean Mountaintop
May 20, 2019
Image
An arid mountaintop in the Chilean Andes is being transformed into a next-generation astronomy hub.
Hard-rock excavation at the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) site — a patch of rocky desert 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) above sea level, about a 2-hour drive from the coastal town of La Serena — wrapped up in March. And the project team recently selected a contractor to build the mount, a steel structure that will house the huge telescope's mirrors and scientific instruments.
"This is the core of the observatory," said Robert Shelton, president of the GMTO Corp.