Roque de los Muchachos Observatory

The Roque- de-los Muchachos Observatory (Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos, in short ORM) is a settlement of observatories on the slope of the Roque de los Muchachos on the Canary Island of La Palma. Together with the Teide Observatory on Tenerife is the ORM the European Northern Observatory.

Generally

The astrophysical observatories were opened in 1985. Several European countries are involved in the plant, which is one of the most important of its kind worldwide. The decisive factor for the location of the project were the weather conditions at the highest point of La Palma: On the mountain extremely many cloud-free nights can be reported. While hanging from 1000 meters above sea level, often clouds, but cloud cover ends at the latest at 2000 feet, and the air at the Roque de los Muchachos is particularly clear.

History

In 1979, signed in Santa Cruz de La Palma, Spain States, Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom an agreement that allows them astrophysical research at the Roque de los Muchachos. Other countries joined the astronomical composite (the Federal Republic of Germany 1983). On June 29, 1985, was inaugurated in the presence of many scientists, the leaders of the countries concerned, and the Spanish royal couple the Observatorio Roque de los Muchachos.

On 24 July 2009, was 10.4 meters in diameter - the world - the largest reflecting telescopes, the Gran Telescopio Canarias taken ( GranTeCan ) by the Spanish King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia solemnly into operation.

Telescopes

The larger observatories are equipped with telescopes, which are sorted in the following according to the diameter of the main mirror:

The telescopes labeled ( ING ) are summarized in the " Isaac Newton Group".

Special telescopes

  • 0.45 meters Dutch Open Telescope to observe the Sun
  • Swedish Solar Telescope (SST ), 1- m refractor to observe the Sun
  • 0.18 meters Carlsberg Meridian refractor (CMT ) for astrometry
  • 2 x 17 meter MAGIC ( Cherenkov telescopes for gamma radiation)
  • 3 meters FACT telescope (former CT3 as part of the 6 HEGRA telescopes ), Cherenkov telescope
  • An observatory of SuperWASP

Dutch Open Telescope

Telescopio Nazionale Galileo

Isaac Newton Telescope

William Herschel Telescope

Two of the HEGRA telescopes

MAGIC telescopes

Gran Telescopio Canarias

Nordic Optical Telescope ( NOT)

Evidence

Astrophysics Primary mirror MAGIC (telescope)
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