ESO’s Paranal Observatory will host and operate the southern array
of the world’s largest and most sensitive array of gamma-ray telescopes.
99 telescopes of the southern Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will be constructed
by the CTA Observatory in the pristine observing conditions of the Chilean Atacama Desert.
Another 19 telescopes will be on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands.
Gamma rays are emitted by the hottest and most powerful objects in the Universe.
When gamma rays hit the atmosphere, they produce flashes of eerie blue light…
...which will be captured by CTA’s mirrors and high-speed cameras.
CTA will try to understand the most puzzling astronomical mysteries...
...supermassive black holes, supernovae, and even dark matter itself.
Produced by ESO, the European Southern Observatory. Reaching new heights in Astronomy.