Large Millimeter Telescope
Encyclopedia
The Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) was inaugurated in Mexico on 22 November 2006. It is the world's largest and most sensitive single-aperture telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
in its frequency range, built for observing radio wave
Radio Wave
Radio Wave may refer to:*Radio frequency*Radio Wave 96.5, a radio station in Blackpool, UK...
s in the wave lengths from approximately 0.85 to 4 mm. It has an active surface
Active surface
An active surface is a surface of a radio telescope that is under active computer control of its shape.Large radio telescopes always bend during operation, due to their enormous weight and the fact that even the strongest materials are not perfectly stiff...
with a diameter of 50 metres and 2000 m² of collecting area.
It is located within Chalchicomula de Sesma
Chalchicomula de Sesma
Chalchicomula of Sesma is a municipality in the Mexican state of Puebla. It is located in the eastern federal state, borders the state of Veracruz. Its municipal seat is Ciudad Serdan . The name of the municipality is of Nahuatl origin and comes from the words chalchihuitl = chalchihuite [2] =...
municipality, on top of the Sierra Negra
Sierra Negra
Sierra Negra is an extinct volcanic companion peak of Mexico's highest mountain, the Pico de Orizaba . At up to 4,640 m above sea level it is one of Mexico's highest peaks, perhaps even the fourth highest, though it is usually listed fifth...
, the fifth highest peak in Mexico and an extinct volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
companion to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
's highest mountain, the Pico de Orizaba
Pico de Orizaba
The Pico de Orizaba, or Citlaltépetl , is a stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America. It rises above sea level in the eastern end of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, on the border between the states of Veracruz and Puebla...
, in the state of Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
. Its construction took 10 years, and cost 116 million dollars. It is a binational Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(80%) - American (20%) joint project of the Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica (INAOE) and the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
.
Millimeter wavelength observations using the LMT will give astronomers a view of regions which are obscured by dust in the interstellar medium
Interstellar medium
In astronomy, the interstellar medium is the matter that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, dust, and cosmic rays. It fills interstellar space and blends smoothly into the surrounding intergalactic space...
, thus increasing our knowledge about star formation
Star formation
Star formation is the process by which dense parts of molecular clouds collapse into a ball of plasma to form a star. As a branch of astronomy star formation includes the study of the interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds as precursors to the star formation process and the study of young...
. The telescope is also particularly fitted for observing solar system planetesimals and planets and extra-solar protoplanetary disks which are relatively cold and emit most of their radiation at millimeter wavelengths. There are also proposals for observing fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background
CMB
CMB can mean:*The IATA airport code for Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo – Sri Lanka's only international airport*C.M.B., the debut album of American R&B and pop group Color Me Badd...
as well as active galactic nuclei.