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Future optical and infrared telescopes

Abstract

New telescopes, new detectors and new regions of the electromagnetic spectrum have often revealed totally unsuspected aspects of the Universe. How can we maximize the chances of such serendipity in the future?

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Figure 1: The Large Binocular Telescope, with two 8.4-m mirrors side by side.
Figure 2: The moon imaged with a membrane telescope.
Figure 3: Imaging distant galaxies.
Figure 4: Evolution of infrared space telescopes.
Figure 5: A 2-m hexagonal concave glass mirror is lifted clear after separation from the support on which it was thinned and polished.

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Angel, R. Future optical and infrared telescopes. Nature 409, 427–430 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35053217

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