One step closer to the stars
As I walked to the department this morning and the old water tower that forms part of the astronomy building appeared above the tree tops, I noticed that the dome had been lifted off the top. Today the mount for the new 1.5-meter telescope was hoisted to its perch above the roof tops of Lund by means of a giant crane. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for my productivity) my office is on the opposite side of the theoretical physics wing of the physics building, but every now and then, I took the opportunity to watch the slow progress from the lunch-room windows.
As probably most people with an interest in physics, I find large science facilities like CERN, Fermilab, RHIC etc. way cool, but to me nothing beats a large mirror telescope being built (well, mounted) almost in my backyard. There is something imensely satisfying about seing man build his window to space right in front of you nose. A telescope this size is a big instrument, but unlike, say, the LHC at CERN, it is still small enough to grasp. Big science on an everyday scale.
*drömmer sig bort*
Comment by ria — June 13, 2006 @ 4:11 pm