Spegel på väg!
Har du någonsin undrat hur ett teleskop håller sina speglar i bästa skick för att observera kosmos? I denna veckas bild transporterar en lastbil med största försiktighet en av speglarna vid ESO:s Very Large Telescope (VLT), väl insvept som skydd mot den hårda miljön i Chiles Atacamaöken. Spegelns destination är aluminiseringsanläggningen som håller teleskopets speglar perfekt blanka.
Spegeln skyddas från de extrema ökenförhållandena av teleskopkupolen under dagen men är exponerad på natten, och behöver därför rengöras och omaluminiseras för att behålla sin reflektionsförmåga. Damm som samlas på ytan avlägsnas regelbundet genom att sprayas med frusen koldioxid, men ungefär var 18:e månad får spegeln en ny aluminiumbeläggning. Spegeln monteras då av från teleskopet och transporteras långsamt ned till aluminiseringsanläggningen vid baslägret, ett par kilometer bort. Transporten övervakas noggrant av ESO-personal som går bredvid transportbilen. ESO:s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) – som för närvarande är under uppbyggnad – tittar också tyst på från sin utsiktspunkt på Cerro Armazones i bakgrunden i denna bild.
Vid aluminiseringsanläggningen separeras den 8,2 meter stora spegeln från sin cell, en stabil konstruktion som skyddar spegeln och bevarar dess form, och rengörs för att avlägsna föroreningar som kan störa beläggningsprocessen. Det tunna aluminiumskiktet som är avgörande för spegelns reflektionsförmåga avlägsnas kemiskt och ersätts med ett nytt lager. Efter en process som tar cirka 8 dagar inklusive tester för att verifiera resultatet, transporteras den nybelagda spegeln tillbaka upp till VLT, där den kan återta sin uppgift att samla ljus från universum.
Källa:L. Sbordone/ESO
Om bilden
| ID: | potw2620a |
| Språk: | sv |
| Typ: | Foto |
| Publiceringsdatum: | 18 maj 2026 06:00 |
| Storlek: | 7728 x 5152 px |
Om objektet
| Namn: | Cerro Armazones, Extremely Large Telescope, Mirror, Very Large Telescope |
| Typ: | Unspecified : Technology |
Bildformat
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