ELT construction hits the halfway point

[strongmanmike]

Great article on the ELT (https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2024-09-27/extremely-large-telescope-chile-atacama-australian-astronomy/104305650?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web)

Worth reading right through and note the reference to the importance of Australia becoming a full partner in ESO, which relates directly to a recent thread (https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=210683) (errr?...please ignore the extraneous and embarrassingly inaccurate excoriations in some of the replies) regarding a highly significant report on the effectiveness and value for money, Australia's ESO partnership has been to date.

What an awesome looking instrument and location, surely $40mill a year, is well and truly worth access to this beast of a scope and technological marvel?!!...even if it may mean bye bye to the AAT :eyepop: :scared:

Mike

[blindman]

Residence looks like a prison.

[Crater101]

Living and working there would be quite an immersive experience in many ways. We've all heard - or know - of people who find their dream job and "never work a day in their lives" so to speak. I could imagine that location fitting that for many people.


It's a fantastic engineering project, and one that has so many possibilities for the future of the science. I look forward to seeing what it can achieve.

[SimmoW]

Great article , thanks Mike. Jeeze that's a big'un .

Nah, most serious astronomers wouldn't care what building they were living in, to be a part of history and help image objects that us amateurs or even semi pros could only dream of. Some might criticize me, as we moved 2.5hrs from Melbourne in a pretty isolated area, but such 'arduous' conditions are well worth it for the views, both day and night.

[ReidG]

The Hotel at Paranal is actually quite nice and is carefully designed to minimize light pollution.



I have two friends who worked there, one in hotel management and the other an engineer during the VLT construction.


It is a very inhospitable region and that hotel is an oasis. I have never been to Cerro Paranal but have been in the Atacama and it makes our deserts seem friendly.


Jimmena, who worked in the hotel was visiting there last month and brought me back some pictures inside the domes.



Its great for Australian astronomers to have access these world class telescopes in astronomically superb locations.

[Ryderscope]

The ABC article was a very informative and most interesting read. The steps over the next couple of years will be to convince the relative political powers of the need for continued funding for membership of the ESO AND continued funding for the AAO.

[strongmanmike]

Agreed :thumbsup:... quietly confident this will happen, somehow, can't lose the AAT!! :prey:

Mike

[gary]

In 2018, Australia was given a special 10-year Strategic Partnership deal
to allow Australian astronomers access to the ESO facilities.

One of the key reasons Australia was given entry at a bargain price was
on the back of Australia's strong instrumentation group.

This was the team of engineers, technicians and machinists who built
instruments such as the OzPoz multi-fiber positioner for the VLT.

The Anglo Australian Telescope (AAT) was run by the Anglo Australian Observatory (AAO)
and received funding federally. However, some years back a consortium
of 11 Australian universities led by ANU took over the funding and operation
of the AAT.

The AAO instrumentation group then became Australian Astronomical
Optics - Macquarie (AAO-Macquarie) and are building some of the most
powerful instrumentation ever seen on telescopes.

A friend who is the head electrical there described to me the early days
of working in the Atacama when they were building the VLT.
This was before La Residencia was built.
He said he lived in a shipping container out in the desert.
Once the scopes and La Residencia were built he said, "The astronomers
just all swanned into the fancy La Residencia Hotel with its swimming
pool, sauna, restaurant and chef".

Australian Astronomical Optics (AAO) web site which showcases some of their projects :-
https://www.mq.edu.au/faculty-of-science-and-engineering/departments-and-schools/australian-astronomical-optics-macquarie

[strongmanmike]

Was aware of some of that but thanks for your usual thorough but succinct summary :) Are you aware of any parts of the ELT being developed by AAO?

Mike

[gary]

There is consortium of astronomical instrumentation organisations named
Astralis of which AAO-Macquarie a member along with ANU and Sydney Uni.

Astralis did some preliminary work on an infrared imager for the ELT.
I'm not sure which of the consortium members did that work.

I'll ask if AAO-Macquarie is currently doing any work on ELT instrumentation.
They certainly are doing new work for the VLT and for several other of the
world's largest telescopes.

See https://www.mq.edu.au/faculty-of-science-and-engineering/departments-and-schools/australian-astronomical-optics-macquarie/our-projects/current-projects

Given the phenomenal amount of world-leading expertise, innovation
and experience they have, it would not surprise me if they were awarded
some ELT contracts in the future.

Advanced instrumentation for large telescopes at optical, infrared and
radio wavelengths is an area Australia absolutely excels at.

[strongmanmike]

I had checked that but so far only VLT projects are listed.



Even more likely should we be part of ESO I guess..?

Mike