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The telescope designed, constructed and commissioned by Telescope Technologies Ltd., a subsidiary company of JMU, observes autonomously from its site on La Palma in the Canary Islands.The Liverpool Telescope's unique capabilities of flexible scheduling and rapid response will put the UK at the forefront of exciting new fields of research in time dependant astrophysics. "This enables us to study such phenomena as supernovae and Gamma Ray Bursts, the biggest explosions in space," said Professor David Carter of the ARI.
The telescope's other great strength is its ability to make regular observations of objects that vary over periods from seconds to years. With current astronomical facilities this is very difficult, whereas the new telescope will track newly discovered objects such as comets or Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs), allowing accurate calculations of their paths and potential hazards.
The telescope is supported by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), making 40% of the observing time available to astronomers throughout the UK. A further 5% of the time has been donated by JMU to the National Schools' Observatory (NSO) programme. "School children can now work on their own projects alongside professional astronomers," said Dr. Andy Newsam (NSO astronomer). This is the first time regular access has been granted to schools for world-class research telescopes.
The telescope is sited at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos which is operated on the island of La Palma by the Instituto de Astrof�sica de Canarias.
More info: The Liverpool Telescope
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