Brescia’s Ansaldo Energia Contributes to World’s Largest Telescope, Lbt
The world’s largest telescope, the Lbt (Large Binocular Telescope), was showcased with audiovisual presentations during an event held by the Rotary Club of Salò and Desenzano at the Grand Hotel di Gardone.
Speakers included engineer Gianfranco Castelli, CEO of Ansaldo Energia, and engineer Luciano Milietta, researcher at the Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri and project coordinator.
There is therefore a Brescia connection in the construction of this device: Ansaldo Energia was acquired by the Brescia-based group Camozzi.
Certifications and involved groups
In his opening remarks, Rotary President Giovanni Casarini emphasized this aspect.
“We must compliment the designers and entrepreneurs who built this great telescope. It is an honor for us because our country and our province are part of the international consortium that launched this initiative: a consortium that—he continued—was able to leverage Italian professionals and companies, including the Camozzi group.”
Technical characteristics of the telescope
The telescope, named Lbt, is currently the most powerful in the world thanks to its two gigantic mirrors, each with a diameter of 8.4 meters, about 1 meter thick, and weighing 15.6 tons.
These two enormous “eyes” will enable a deeper and sharper view of the cosmos.
The design is also revolutionary: the telescope has an extremely rigid, compact, and relatively lightweight structure.
It extends vertically, reaching a total height of 30 meters, on a platform with a diameter of 23 meters.
The construction solution adopted provides excellent performance and the necessary stability to combine light beams.
Functions and scientific goals
The Lbt will allow us to explore the universe as never before.
It is the most advanced and powerful instrument available for research: astronomers will be able to probe cosmic space in unprecedented clarity, thus advancing the search for answers about the origins of the universe.
As previously mentioned, the telescope was built by Ansaldo Componenti Speciali-Gruppo Camozzi, which boasts extensive experience in constructing similar structures and machinery. Significant contributions to the design were also provided by engineering firms such as Ads Italia of Lecco, European Industrial Engineering of Mestre, and M3 Engineering of Tucson.
Support and international collaboration
Furthermore, the scientific planning and operating costs are borne by the University of Arizona, the Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, the Lbt, and the Max Planck Institute of Germany, as well as Ohio State University and Research Corporation of Tucson, in collaboration with the Università di Notre Dame (France) and others.
The telescope will be installed on Mount Graham, at an elevation of 3,142 meters, overlooking the Arizona desert in the land of the Apache, who are opposing the project because Mount Graham is considered sacred land.
Expectations and scientists’ goals
Scientists have high expectations for this telescope.
Many mysteries of the universe, still unresolved, may be unveiled; for example, we will learn when and how the chemical elements formed, beyond hydrogen and helium; how these elements were distributed in space; and how they were incorporated into celestial bodies.
Additionally, it will be possible to directly observe images of planets in extrasolar systems and study the dynamic processes occurring in individual galaxies and their groups.
