Episode 10: Telescopes and Observing

For astronomers, spectrographs mounted on the largest telescopes are a primary tool to carry out their work. This is particularly true for stellar archaeology studies. This way the data needed for a chemical abundance analysis—stellar spectra—can be obtained. Some of the best telescopes in the world are the twin Magellan telescopes, which each have a mirror that is 6.5m in diameter. They are located in Chile in the Southern Hemisphere where the night sky is particularly bright and beautiful to watch, for astronomers and lay people alike! Get a peek into what it means when astronomers go observing. 

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Associated Book Chapters from Searching for the Oldest Stars: Ancient Relics from the Early Universe

  • Chapter 7: Tales Told by Light
  • Chapter 8: Let’s Go Observe Some Stars!
  • Chanpter 10: Finding the Oldest Stars
  • Chapter 11: At the End of a Cosmic Journey