Images from multiple amateur telescopic images of a given region of the sky can be combined using tools at Astrometry.net to create the equivalent of super long exposures. The results can be
Here’s an article and paper about this crowd-sources approach to astronomical imagery:
The combined image for the M51 galaxies is just as impressive, taking only 40 minutes to produce on a single processor. It reveals extended structures around both galaxies, which astronomers know to be debris from their gravitational interaction as they collide.
Lang and co say these faint features are hugely important because they allow astronomers to measure the age, mass ratios, and orbital configurations of the galaxies involved. Interestingly, many of these faint features are not visible in any of the input images taken from the Web. They emerge only once images have been combined.
The European Southern Observatory (ESO), which already has several major telescopes in Chile, has begun construction of a new one whose name says it all: European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). With a 39 meter primary mirror, it should be called the European Monster Telescope. It will take 10 years to build the observatory. The E-ELT will reside on top of the 3000-meter high peak of Cerro Armazones and it will eventually look something like this artist’s creation:
However, to get that nice plateau on which to build it, they had to blow away the peak. Yesterday there was a special event held to mark the first big blast to cut off the peak. Here is a video of the event (jump to 53 seconds to see the blast):
Today a groundbreaking ceremony took place to mark the next major milestone towards ESO’s European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). Part of the 3000-metre peak of Cerro Armazones was blasted away as a step towards levelling the summit in preparation for the construction of the largest optical/infrared telescope in the world.
The groundbreaking ceremony at Paranal Observatory, 20 kilometres away from the blasting, was attended by distinguished guests from both Chile and the ESO Member States, as well as representatives of the local communities, senior officials from the project and ESO staff. The event was also streamed live online and a recording of the event can now be viewed.
The order to proceed with the blasting was given by the Chilean Vice Minister of National Assets, Jorge Maldonado.
During the groundbreaking ceremony the Chilean company ICAFAL Ingeniería y Construcción S.A. blasted part of the top of Cerro Armazones and loosened about 5000 cubic metres of rock. This is just one part of an elaborate levelling process which will help landscape the mountain, so that it can accommodate the 39-metre telescope and its huge dome. A grand total of 220 000 cubic metres will need to be removed to make room for the 150 metre by 300 metre E-ELT platform.
The Cerro Armazones civil works started in March 2014 and are expected to take 16 months. These include the laying and maintenance of a paved road, the construction of the summit platform and the construction of a service trench to the summit [1].
The E-ELT first light is planned for 2024, when it will begin to tackle the biggest astronomical challenges of our time. The giant telescope is expected to allow the exploration of completely unknown realms of the Universe — it will be: “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”.
Voice actor Peter Cullen gives a brief description of the James Webb Space Telescope project (but doesn’t explain how its price went from $1.6B to $8.8B):
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