The Mirror Lab
Very Large Arraymreclipse.com Did you ever wonder how and where the extremely large mirrors used in telescopes, like these in the Very Large Array in New Mexico, are made? How about the ones for the Giant Magellan Telescope, coming soon to the Chilean Andes? How do they move them? Aren't they worried about breakage? I had all those questions and more before I toured the UofA's Steward Observatory's Mirror Lab. Free thirty minute tours were offered to those lucky enough to secure tickets at the Festival of Books; I received the very last one available.... at 9:30 in the morning for a Festival which didn't open until 10. This was a hot commodity, and I was thrilled to be able to join the party. High in the sky so that ambient (man-made) light is not a factor, in an area with little to no rain or geologic disturbances.... or people, for that matter, the world's largest telescope will be created by linking seven ginormous mirrors which will collect images at...