The Mystery of What The Multiple Mirror
Telescope Is
If we think about NASA and other observing stations across
the world, we would not think of a multiple mirror telescope
as being a small item, and indeed the first multiple mirror
telescope was definitely not! Starting off its life in Arizona
as 6 individual mirrors each spanning approximately 1.8m in
diameter to be used in Military satellite installations. These
mirrors were taken over by the Smithsonian and in 1979, after
the Cold War. Built on Mt. Hopkins, the first multiple mirror
telescope the overall size when mounted on a lightweight, small
frame, measured about 4.5m in diameter. A multiple mirror telescope
measuring 6.1 m in diameter has since surpassed it.
However, although it performed well, this first multiple mirror
telescope was not without glitches. The combined diameter of
all 6 mirrors measured about 4.5m across and it was sometimes
difficult to get this multiple mirror telescope operating as
one by getting the mirrors to focus on exactly the same spot
at the same time.
Since then much larger multiple mirror telescopes have been
constructed. An example of this is the SALT telescope. Being
amongst one of the largest telescopes in the world, but THE
largest Refractory, this telescope resides in a town called
Sutherland in the Cape Province of South Africa. It measures
approximately 11m in diameter!
The mirrors on this Telescope look like the honeycomb you would
find in a beehive. This is a new technology which allows future
builders to make even larger telescopes, larger than we can
possibly imagine, and will not be able to be constructed with
single mirror Telescopes.
Most of the challenges faced while building multiple mirror
telescopes have been overcome, and the ‘sky is the limit’
for Engineers now. In fact, a 30m Telescope is under development
right now, consisting of segmented mirrors, it is purported
to be unmatched in performance and should be completed in 2017,
or thereabouts.
Could You Make One Yourself?
No! Definitely not! They are HUGE. Apart from that, they are
complicated, they need to be calibrated to a fraction of a degree
and computers, which have been programmed with endless mathematical
equations, operate them.
The only multiple mirror telescope anybody would be able to
make would in the form of a scale mode. Telescope mirror kits
can be found and building one would be fun to make, at the same
time as satisfying the curiosity of anyone who has ever wondered
how they are designed.
