Mon, 10 Mar
|RMG Lecture Theatre
The Extremely Large Telescope: The Biggest Eye on the Sky
by Dr Ruben Sanchez-Jannsen, Astronomer at STFC’s UK Astronomy Technology Centre The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is the world’s most ambitious ground-based optical-infrared astronomical facility. DETAILS ON HOW TO BOOK FOR THIS EVENT ARE EMAILED TO MEMBERS IN THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Time & Location
10 Mar 2025, 19:15 – 21:00
RMG Lecture Theatre, Romney Rd, London SE10 9NF, UK
About the Event
The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is the world’s most ambitious ground-based optical-infrared astronomical facility. When it achieves first light in 2028 the sensitivity and spatial resolution provided by its 39m diameter primary mirror will dwarf those of existing facilities. In this talk I will provide an update on the construction of the ELT and its innovative instrumentation suite, and I will highlight some of the key science cases that will make this facility truly transformational—from searches of biomarkers in nearby exoplanets to detailed spectroscopy of individual stars in the Galaxy and beyond, to characterisation of the most distant galaxies at the edge of the observable Universe.
Bio
Ruben Sanchez-Janssen is an Astronomer at STFC’s UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UKATC). He leads the development of scientific instrumentation and facilities for ground- and space-based astronomy from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared, with a particular emphasis on widefield astronomy and future missions. He…