New eyes to scan the skies

[andrewmoquin]

Four hundred years ago, an Italian scientist named Galileo Galilei became the first person to see the craters on the moon. Galileo, who also observed four of Jupiter’s moons and the rings of Saturn, was one of the first people to use a telescope to study the sky. Since then, telescopes have become the most important tool used by astronomers.

All over the world — from the mountains of Hawaii to the icy plains of Antarctica — astronomers use telescopes to study the stars, galaxies and planets of outer space. Today, telescopes come in all shapes and sizes. Scientists are constantly finding new ways to make these instruments more powerful. In the next couple years, two new telescopes with different purposes are scheduled to see “first light.” read more

 

[MetalMario]

I don't mean to be rude, but I think I speak for everyone here that we all know this already.

 

[aphh]

I, for one, had heard about Gaia, but didn't realize it's only a couple of years from becoming operational. Expect brilliant 3D maps of our galaxy, like in Lost In Space.