Giant telescope starts scouring space

[WhiteTara]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2007-07-14-telescope_N.htm
TENERIFE, Canary Islands (AP) — One of the world's largest and most powerful telescopes opened its shutters turned its 34-foot wide mirror toward the skies and captured its first light at a mountaintop on one of Spain's Canary Islands on Saturday.

The $179 million Great Canary Telescope, designed to take advantage of pristine, clear skies at the Roque de los Muchachos observatory atop the Atlantic island of La Palma, should be fully operational by May 2008.

On a crystal-clear night, Spain's Crown Prince Felipe keyed in the computer codes which brought the observatory's complex machinery to life.

Slowly, 12 of the telescope's eventual 36 mirrors aimed at a twin star close to the Earth's northern axis, near the North Star. Twelve images merged into one as the telescope focused.

[BlueJazz]

1. Cool...Isn't it amazing that other countries spend 179 million for .....

....a noble enterprise....We spend 179 million (in Iraq...14 hours) Killing people.