GTCdigital

The GTC’s dreams

27/08/2009

The first images from the GTC and its OSIRIS instrument are not just scientific, they are poetic. A windmill galaxy, an Eskimo nebula, a swarm of galaxies called Corona Borealis, a supernova factory, the evocative Eyes of Markarian galaxy group... There is no doubt about it: Astronomy should be written in verse. When astronomers are observing at night they should do as the poet Saint-Pol-Roux did before he went to sleep. Put a sign on the door that says: “poet at work.”
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• 10/06/2009
  It moves!
  

  The big day is getting closer and everything is ready for the coming-out of the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS. The formal presentation to society already has a date: on 24th July, the inauguration will take place, and will be graced by the presence of Their Royal Highnesses The King and Queen of Spain. On the countdown to this “great ball”, the telescope has wanted to show us how it moves. Read this article

• 09/02/2009
  Points of view: Pedro Álvarez - Director of GRANTECAN
  

  In astrophysics, as in many other branches of science, it is important to be number one. Number two means nothing. Technology is one of the things that can help us reach first place. Read this article

• 02/12/2008
  An elite technology school
  

  When anyone mentions innovation we tend to equate it with industrial advances, new technologies and scientific discoveries. Yet according to the experts all it takes to innovate is a good idea. Read this article

• 03/09/2008
  A mirror that's in shape
  

  Words can sometimes say a lot and mean very little. Whereas a picture, like the recent one of the GTC's completed primary mirror, can mean a great deal. At last the Universe has a mirror big enough to look at itself in; but it's the shape, not the size that we're going to think about today. Building a mirror over ten metres in diameter meant dividing it up into 36 hexagonal segments. Does that make you think of something else? Read this article