India has built the world's first operational Liquid Mirror Telescope, high up in the Himalayan mountains. The International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) is a 4-meter class telescope (156" diameter primary) that was constructed at 8,000 ft elevation on the campus of Devasthal Observatory, which is owned by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital in Uttarakhand (in Northern India).
Instead of using glass or mirrors to collect the light, this telescope uses a layer of liquid mercury that floats on a thin layer of compressed air. This liquid mercury (quicksilver) is then spun, creating a very precise parabolic-shaped mirror.
Why would you want to use a liquid instead of pre-forming a mirror in the traditional way? The main advantage is cost. Liquid is cheap! This telescope costs about 1/10th that of a nearby standard 3.6 meter telescope.
One downside, though, is that since it is a liquid mirror it can really only be pointed straight up at the zenith. However, the ILMT is an uber fast f/2 configuration, giving it a relatively large 27 arc minute field of view (nearly the same size as a Full Moon).
They plan on using this telescope to conduct quasar and gravitational-lensing observations from its advantageous +29N latitude for the first five years. In its present configuration it can monitor 50 square degrees of sky and reach magnitude +22. And at this location it will have a good view of the region of sky around the North Galactic Pole.
The ILMT went live in April, and first science using the telescope is expected to be done later this year.
https://gizmodo.com/india-liquid-mirror ... 6RaVUo9NuY
ILMT Website: https://www.aries.res.in/facilities/ast ... copes/ilmt
Suresh
World's First Liquid Mirror Telescope Goes Live
- Sureshks
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World's First Liquid Mirror Telescope Goes Live
Suresh Sreenivasan
B-SIG/FB/Metcalf Comm
Refr: AP 130mm GTX/SW 120mm/Borg 4"/Unitron 150 4"/Jason 2.25”
Dobs: ATM 16"/Orion 12”
Newts: Cave 8" RFT/Criterion RV6/Astroscan 4"/Orion 3.6" TCT
SNs: Meade 6"/Celestron 5.5"
SCTs: Celestron 9.25"/8”/B&L Criterion 4”
Maks: SW 7"/Quantum 4"/Meade 3.5” ETX
Cass: Vixen 8” VISAC/Simmons 4.5"
RC: MallinCam 10"
Sol: Lunt 80mm DS/PST
Bino: Vixen 12x80/Nikon 10x50
Mounts: CGX/EQ6r-Pro/AVX/GDPX/Porta II
B-SIG/FB/Metcalf Comm
Refr: AP 130mm GTX/SW 120mm/Borg 4"/Unitron 150 4"/Jason 2.25”
Dobs: ATM 16"/Orion 12”
Newts: Cave 8" RFT/Criterion RV6/Astroscan 4"/Orion 3.6" TCT
SNs: Meade 6"/Celestron 5.5"
SCTs: Celestron 9.25"/8”/B&L Criterion 4”
Maks: SW 7"/Quantum 4"/Meade 3.5” ETX
Cass: Vixen 8” VISAC/Simmons 4.5"
RC: MallinCam 10"
Sol: Lunt 80mm DS/PST
Bino: Vixen 12x80/Nikon 10x50
Mounts: CGX/EQ6r-Pro/AVX/GDPX/Porta II
- Dick Jacobson
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- Location: Cottage Grove, MN
Re: World's First Liquid Mirror Telescope Goes Live
There have been several experiments with liquid mirrors. The Large Zenith Telescope in Canada had a 6-meter mercury mirror but was not useful for astronomy because of poor weather. Maybe the Moon would be a good site for a liquid mirror.
30-inch homemade Newtonian with periscope
20-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian with periscope
14-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian
10-inch Newtonian that folds flat
6-inch Russian Maksutov-Newtonian on Vixen equatorial mount
Too many small scopes and binoculars to mention
20-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian with periscope
14-inch homemade equatorial Newtonian
10-inch Newtonian that folds flat
6-inch Russian Maksutov-Newtonian on Vixen equatorial mount
Too many small scopes and binoculars to mention
- Deane Clark
- Posts: 2446
- Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 11:38 pm
- Location: Mpls
Re: World's First Liquid Mirror Telescope Goes Live
I would think minor earth tremors might be a problem for holding the figure in the Himalayas.
Deane Clark
Eagle Lake Observatory keyholder
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I can quit any time I want. I just don't want to.
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Eagle Lake Observatory keyholder
------------------------
I can quit any time I want. I just don't want to.
www.aponon.org