(Boursier.com) — The group Mersen announced the delivery, by its subsidiary Mersen Boostec, of the reference structure of the adaptive mirror of the future giant telescope of the ESO (European Southern Observatory) to the Italian consortium AdOptica. In order to correct the effects of the turbulences of the atmosphere and the vibrations of its immense structure, this telescope is equipped with an adaptive system.
Associated with the fifth mirror (itself being manufactured at Mersen Boostec), the fourth mirror (M4) forms the heart of what promises to be the largest adaptive mirror ever made. Its reference structure consists of 6 silicon carbide segments, assembled by brazing, then polished.
At the end of 2025, after a period of calibrations, the M4 will be shipped to Chile on Mount Cerro Armazones, where the construction of the telescope infrastructure has already started.
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