European Extremely Large Telescope: some history, and the scientific community's preferences for wavelength

Gerard Gilmore

doi:10.1117/12.801258

22 April 2008 European Extremely Large Telescope: some history, and the scientific community's preferences for wavelength

Gerard Gilmore

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6986, Extremely Large Telescopes: Which Wavelengths? Retirement Symposium for Arne Ardeberg; 698607 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.801258
Event: Extremely Large Telescopes: Which Wavelengths? Retirement Symposium for Arne Ardeberg, 2007, Lund, Sweden

Abstract

Extremely expensive new telescopes involve a compromise between the extreme ambitions of the scientific community, whose support justifies the financial costs, and the need to have a telescope design which can actually be built today at appropriate cost. In this article I provide a brief history of the process which built community support in Europe for what has become the European Extremely Large Telescope project (E-ELT). I then review remaining tensions between the community science case and day-one technical performance. While the range of very strong scientific cases which support the E-ELT project will largely be delivered, and lead to a quite outstanding scientific return, there are - as always! - demands for even more impressive performance. In addition to what the E-ELT will deliver, much of the community wants high spatial resolution at wavelengths shorter than one micron. Affordable adaptive optics systems will work best, initially at somewhat longer wavelengths. Planned performance enhancement during its operational life is very desirable in the E-ELT.

Citation Download Citation

Gerard Gilmore "European Extremely Large Telescope: some history, and the scientific community's preferences for wavelength", Proc. SPIE 6986, Extremely Large Telescopes: Which Wavelengths? Retirement Symposium for Arne Ardeberg, 698607 (22 April 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.801258

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