Nano-Engineered Liquid Mirror Telescopes

Nano-Engineered Liquid Mirror Telescopes

Some astronomers feel that rotating liquid mirror telescopes (LMT) may revolutionize astronomy. LMTs work because the basic laws of nature — gravity and centrifugal force – conspire together to give LMTs the perfect, parabolic shape needed for astronomical observing. And unlike ordinary telescopes with glass mirrors that are expensive to make and maintain, LMTs are quite cost effective because of low construction costs (current estimates have liquid mirrors at 1% the cost of a glass mirror) and they don’t need to be polished or housed in an expensive mount. Ermanno Borra from Canada is one of the foremost experts on LMTs, and he has been constructing and testing different types of these telescopes since the early 1980’s. His latest research involves creating a tiltable LMT – previously thought to be almost impossible — by using a thin, reflective layer of self-assembling metallic nanoparticles.

Saving 99% of manufacturing costs of a glass mirror makes this a promising proposition.

There was an article circulating around ATS yesterday or the day before talking about the properties of "enhanced" (doped) water. This is an interesting devleopment when taken in context with that technology.

Creating a space based application would be important, as the telescope could be assembled in situ and the lenses could be enormous. The gravity work of Podkletnov would be pertinent in this situation, as well.

Nice find bigfatfurrytexan. This could revolutionize professional astronomy! The rate of discoveries is already progressing at a frantic pace - with this new weapon in our arsenal the rate of progress could be off the scale. S & F'd!

Originally posted by C.H.U.D.
Nice find bigfatfurrytexan. This could revolutionize professional astronomy! The rate of discoveries is already progressing at a frantic pace - with this new weapon in our arsenal the rate of progress could be off the scale. S & F'd!

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You have no idea. I am only posting about 1/4 of what i find, and i can miss a dozen new discoveries if i don't hit my "hot spots" once a day.

We need a clearinghouse to help put all these disjointed finds together so that real breakthroughs can ensue.

Just imagine the resolution you would get when snapping picutres with liquid!

I cant wait to see this thing in full operation!

Great find

Bright blue star for you, and a mighty flag!