Eyes on the Cosmos: Unveiling the Wonders of the Universe through Modern Telescopes and Observatories
In 1623, the Italian physicist Galileo Galilei made a groundbreaking discovery by observing the Sun with a telescope. This led him to realize that the Sun was not a perfect sphere and had spots that moved over time. Galileo also discovered craters on the Moon, named the four main satellites of Jupiter, and suggested that Saturn had rings. The use of the telescope opened up new possibilities in astronomy, allowing scientists to explore the cosmos further.
Fast forward to today, and we have advanced tools that enable us to study the universe in great detail. Three of the most notable instruments in recent times are the Gran Telescopio de Canarias (GRANTECAN) in La Palma, the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) in Chile, and the James Webb Space Telescope.
GRANTECAN is an optical telescope with a 10.4-meter main mirror, making it currently one of the largest optical telescopes in operation. It has made significant discoveries, including detecting distant galaxies and observing the smallest star ever observed. ALMA is an interferometer located on Earth that allows astronomers to study millimeter wavelengths of light from space. It has provided valuable data on protoplanetary disks, star formations, and even captured the first image of a black hole.
The James Webb Space Telescope is a space-based observatory operated by multiple space agencies. It aims to study planetary science and astrophysics by observing galaxies’ formation during their earliest stages and planets’ evolution within our solar system. With its sharp imaging capabilities outside Earth’s atmosphere, it has already provided stunning photographs such as images of galaxies billions of years old or even photographed one of Neptune’s moons for closer inspection.
These advanced telescopes and observatories have significantly contributed to our understanding of
