Hi All,
Today we toured the Stewart Observatory Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona. This facility casts and polishes huge mirrors (8.4 meters or 27.5 feet in diameter) for astronomical telescopes.
It starts with 45,000 pounds of special boro-silicate glass from Japan
The glass is melted at 2130 degrees F in this huge furnace that spins at 7 RPM. As it spins, the molten glass "sloshes" to the edges, creating a concave surface, very close to the parabolic shape needed for the telescope. It takes over a month to melt the glass, spin the mirror then slowly cool the glass.
Once the cast glass blank cools, it is polished on this huge machine. The guy standing on the mirror is in his socks. This mirror is for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.
At another polishing station, this mirror is being worked on. This will be part of a seven mirror Giant Magellan Telescope being built in Chile. The effective diameter of this telescope will be over 72 feet! With all this light gathering power, this telescope will explore the very edges of the universe.
In case you wondered where the university found room for all of this immense machinery, it is housed under the grandstand of the Arizona football stadium.
Love,
Sandy & Carl
Sandy & Carl
Living & Traveling in our Motorhome
Volunteering across America
617-435-8502
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
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