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| E-ELT |
| Full name: |
The European Extremely Large Telescope |
| Mirror: |
42 meters diameter |
| Timeline: |
Projected to open in 2018 |
| Projected cost: |
€1 billion |
| Basic mission: |
largest ground-based optical/near-infrared telescope |
| Location: |
Possible sites in Chile, Argentina, Canary Islands, Morocco
|
| Online: |
E-ELT Homepage – ESA |
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GMT |
| Full name: |
Giant Magellan Telescope |
| Mirror: |
24.5 m |
| Timeline: |
2018 completion |
| Basic mission: |
Next-generation telescope; large collecting area and high image quality |
| Location: |
Las Campanas Observatory in Chile
|
| Online: |
GMT Homepage |
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TMT |
| Full name: |
Thirty Meter Telescope |
| Mirror: |
30 m |
| Timeline: |
Expected to start operation in 2017 |
| Basic mission: |
Great view of early universe; work with the planned James Webb Space Telescope
|
| Online: |
Thirty Meter Telescope Homepage |
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| Pan-STARRS |
| Full name: |
Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System |
| Mirror: |
1.8 m each |
| Timeline: |
One of four planned systems is built |
| Projected cost: |
$100 million |
| Basic mission: |
1.4-gigapexel cameras to image entire sky, find “killer” asteroids |
| Location: |
Pan-STARRS 1 sits atop Haleakala on the Hawaiian island of Maui |
| Online: |
Pan-STARRS Homepage |
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| LSST |
| Full name: |
Large Synoptic Survey Telescope |
| Mirror: |
8.4-meter mirror, 3.2 gigapixel camera |
| Timeline: |
Start operation 2014 |
| Basic mission: |
Speed: rapidly scan for asteroids and supernovas |
| Location: |
Projected for a Chilean mountaintop |
| Online: |
LSST Homepage |
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| Gaia |
| Full name: |
Gaia |
| Timeline: |
2011 launch |
| Basic mission: |
Provide 3-D map of galaxy’s stars |
| Location: |
Orbit the sun at L2 |
| Online: |
Gaia Homepage – ESA |
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| JWST |
| Full name: |
The James Webb Space Telescope |
| Mirror: |
6.5 m |
| Timeline: |
Launch set for 2013 |
| Projected cost: |
$3.5 billion (could change as fiscal year 2010 budget is finalized) |
| Basic mission: |
Use infrared wavelengths to image oldest, most distant objects |
| Location: |
This space-based telescope will orbit the sun |
| Online: |
JWST Homepage – NASA |
| ATST |
| Full name: |
Advanced Technology Solar Telescope |
| Mirror: |
4-meter aperture |
| Timeline: |
Possibly start construction 2010 |
| Basic mission: |
Study short-lived features of the sun at a fine scale |
| Location: |
Targeted for Haleakala on Maui |
| Online: |
ATST Homepage |
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ALMA |
|
| Full name: |
Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array |
| Mirror: |
66 radio antennas will work together |
| Timeline: |
Under construction; begin operations 2012 |
| Basic mission: |
Probe the very first stars and galaxies, and directly image planets beyond the solar system
|
| Location: |
Atacama Desert in Chile |
| Online: |
ALMA Observatory |
|
| LISA |
| Full name: |
Laser Interferometer Space Antenna |
| Mirror: |
Three spacecraft create a 5-million-km interferometer |
| Timeline: |
Part of the European Space Agency Cosmic Vision 2015–2025 |
| Basic mission: |
Detect and observe gravitational waves (as from black holes) |
| Location: |
Orbit the sun |
| Online: |
LISA Homepage – NASA |
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