PRESS & MEDIA

LSST Mirror Lifted

October 21, 2008

LSST mirror lift

The 8.4-meter mirror blank for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) has been successfully lifted from the furnace hearth at the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab, installed into a turning ring, and tilted to a vertical position. It is now ready for core cleanout, which will reduce its mass from 46,500 kg to 16,600 kg. The mirror is scheduled to be completed in January 2012, and will be the largest two-surface optical mirror ever made from a single substrate.

Image credit: Jeffrey S. Kingsley/UA Steward Observatory

Event Calendar

  • 2009 Jan 4-8—213th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society , Long Beach, CA

  • 2008 July 13—Call for US Scientists to Join LSST Science Collaborations

  • 2008 Mar 29—High Fire Event in Tucson, Arizona.

  • 2008 Jan 7-11—211th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society , Austin, TX