Astronomy - News
13.08.2012
H.E.S.S. II sees first light
Erected with strong contribution from the Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics Tübingen (IAAT), the largest Cherenkov Telescope ever built goes into operation
On 26 July 2012, the H.E.S.S. II telescope started operation in Namibia. Dedicated to observing the most violent and extreme phenomena of the Universe in very high energy gamma-rays, H.E.S.S. II is the largest Cherenkov telescope ever built, with its 28-meter-sized mirror. The H.E.S.S. group at IAAT has collaborated with MPIK Heidelberg and Polish groups to provide the machinery that supports and aligns the 875 glass mirror facets, which form the telescope’s reflecting surface. The Tübingen team has designed and produced the electronics and software for the mirror alignment system, has equipped all actuators with their electronics, and finally has mounted all actuators at the H.E.S.S. II telescope. Moreover, all mirror facets have been delivered to the institute before shipment to Namibia, for reflectivity tests and fixing the actuator interfaces.
Together with the four smaller (12 meter) telescopes already in operation since 2004, the H.E.S.S. (“High Energy Stereoscopic System”) observatory will continue to define the forefront of ground-based gamma ray astronomy and will allow deeper understanding of known high-energy cosmic sources such as supermassive black holes, pulsars and supernovae, as well as the search for new classes of high-energy cosmic sources.
Official press release of the university: <link http: www.uni-tuebingen.de en external-link-new-window externen link in neuem>
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