The upcoming super telescope will study the most extreme explosions in the universe
The European Commission recently established a planned gamma-ray observatory as the European Research Infrastructure Alliance or ERIC, which will accelerate the construction of telescopes and establish a framework for their data allocation.
In other words, we will soon have a record-breaking observatory to study the source of gamma rays, one of the most dynamic and mysterious objects in the universe. According to the European Southern Observatory, the full name of the observatory is the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), which will be “the most powerful ground observatory in the world.” On February 13, the Eric Council made Japan a strategic partner and recognized the United States, Brazil and Australia as third-party members, laying the foundation for the realistic path of the telescope.
Gamma rays are the most energetic waves in the electromagnetic spectrum. They are produced by some of the most dynamic objects in the universe, including black holes, neutron stars and supernovae, but they are also produced by conventional Ol'Thunderstrorms on Earth.
“Over the past decade, these high-energy gamma rays have been found to exist in many types of very vibrant astronomical phenomena, but we don’t know where they come from.”
In October 2022, the brightest gamma ray or ship ever discovered. The 10,000-year activity shows the ends of gamma rays in our universe and raises more questions about the intense objects that eject gamma rays into Cosmos.
The CTAO will consist of two arrays of telescopes, one of which will be on the Spanish island of La Palma and the other on the Paranal Observatory in ESO. But ESO officials are currently worried that higher than Paranal, the clearest sky on Earth, is threatened by proposed industrial projects near the site, which could reduce the vast dark environment, thereby helping the observatory see the space deep.
The Earth's atmosphere prevents gamma rays from reaching the Earth's surface, but the light that interacts with the atmosphere produces high-energy particles.
“These particles travel faster than the speed of light in the air, so they emit creepy blue Cherenkov radiation similar to the sound boom of aircraft exceeding the speed of sound,” the ESO version said. “CTAO's mirrors and high-speed cameras will capture these ephemeral flashes and point out their direction. This will allow each gamma ray to trace back to its cosmic source, allowing astronomers to solve some of the most enduring mysteries in astrophysics.”
The CTAO will include 64 telescopes around the world – 13 in the northern hemisphere and 51 in the southern hemisphere. The data from the observatory will be open to access, and its analysis software will also help the astronomy community to dig out the observations of telescopes' new discoveries on the universe.
The first batch of CTAO's telescopes are expected to be released in early 2026, so there will be no gamma-ray observations this year. But the latest moves set the stage for the construction of the observatory, which could open new doors in high-energy astrophysics.
