A new, remote controlled telescope is nearing completion in Tasmania, Australia.
The brand new telescope is called the Harlingten telescope, and it will be available remotely to any scientists who want to share its data via the internet. This will allow for greater collaboration on scientific projects across the world.
The telescope aims to observe the center of the Milky Way, supernovas, and other galactic formation that are millions of light years away.
The new telescope will also be one of only two telescopes able to peer into the Magellanic Clouds, the second closest galaxy to our own.
The telescope works by catching light from very distant objects. The primary mirror re-directs the light to a secondary mirror, which then puts into focus into a camera below.
One of the first projects the new telescope will tackle is looking for planets around a star, much like our own solar system, and scientists expect to catch sight of about 20-30 new celestial bodies each year in this way.
The observatory, which cost around 7 million dollars, was set up by a team of scientists and will available for use to scientists and students around the world.
Another objective the new telescope will be employed primarily for is the long-term study of hundreds of stars with similar characteristics to the sun, in order to understand the variability of solar energy and its possible effects on climate change.
/source: Euronews 4.6.13
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