8 July 1999: Spain“s state-owned Gran Telescopio Canarias (Grantecan) has awarded a contract to supply 42 mirror segments for the primary mirror of a new giant telescope to the German specialist glas…
8 July 1999: Spain“s state-owned Gran Telescopio Canarias (Grantecan) has awarded a contract to supply 42 mirror segments for the primary mirror of a new giant telescope to the German specialist glassmaker, Schott. According to Schott, the Grantecan will be the largest in Europe, with a diameter of ten metres. The telescope, which is being built on the Canary Island of La Palma, is scheduled for completion in 2003. The contract is estimated to be worth DM 10 million (US$ 5.25 million). With a range of up to twelve billion light years, the new giant telescope will be the most powerful instrument to date for researching the sky of the northern hemisphere.