The Salar Telescope

[Qualia]

Today will see the first steps into building the largest telescope ever made. The Salar Telescope consists of a huge mirror measuring more than 10,000 square kilometers and it has been proposed that it should allow astronomers to see further than 15 billion years. So far back that some scientists believe we may even be able to get images that go beyond the Big Bang itself.

As can be seen the telescope will be situated in the Salar de Uyuni region in Bolivia which is home to some of the largest flatlands in the world. The landscape is covered by a very thin and highly reflective layer of water which turns it into the largest mirror on the planet. In fact, it will be so big that you will be able to see it from space and if there are aliens about they will be able to see their own reflection looking back at them. The Trebor Institute of Technology and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Things are spearheading the project.

The Salar area is formed by several ancient lakes dating back to dinosaur times and has been smoothed to mirror perfection over the last 42,000 years. The truss rods have already been designed and scientists are hoping they'll be in place by the end of the month. At a generous f10, they will reach way beyond the typical atmospheric turbulence Earth based telescopes have to contend with.

Scientists Testing the Mirror

More Testing

[Tiny Small]

Wow! Isn't it amazing what they can do these days? I can't wait to see the images from before the big bang. Exciting!

[lguise]

Fantastic, but I hear they've only got one day to build it!

[Kai]

Fantastic, but I hear they've only got one day to build it!

Target completion time is 11:59am

[Uplooker]

Cool, I look forward to seeing the images

Ian

[Peter Drew]

Working on it one day a year might not finish it in our lifetime so don't get too excited. 

[nightfisher]

will the new Nagler type B widefield eyepiece work in this scope 

[Zakalwe]

Another fine example of why you shouldn't worry about a few specks of dust on your mirrors or lenses. Those blighters are walking all over their mirror!!!

[Catanonia]

It will take them 100 years though to make the ladder to get to the eyepiece

[brantuk]

I wonder if FLO will be selling this scope lol