UC’s $3.5mn design of astronomical proportions

university-of-canterbury

Tue Apr 19 2005 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

UC’s $3.5mn design of astronomical proportions

Tuesday, 19 April 2005, 3:52 pm
Press Release: University of Canterbury

19 April 2005

UC’s $3.5 million design of astronomical proportions

International experts have approved the design by Physics and Astronomy staff at the University of Canterbury of a component for what will be the world’s largest telescope.

The 11-metre Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) currently under construction is owned by a South African not-for-profit company of which Canterbury University has a 4 percent shareholding.

A panel of experts from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and South Africa has met in Christchurch to review the design of the high resolution spectrograph and given unanimous technical approval for construction to begin.

The instrument will take the light from stars and galaxies in the southern sky and be used by UC astronomers and their colleagues at other SALT partner institutions. It will help them research the number of extra-solar planets and the origins of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, among other things.

The head of UC’s Physics and Astronomy Department, Professor Philip Butler, is delighted that the design has been approved.

“This team has worked tirelessly for more than two years to achieve this fantastic outcome.”

The instrument that has been designed at Canterbury University is valued at about $3.5 million.

ENDS

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}

Using Scoop for work?

Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.

Join Pro Individual Find out more

Find more from University of Canterbury on InfoPages.