The telescope, in the future
“The future of the hypertelescope is played here and now”
Since 2012, Professor Labeyrie and his team are working to realize the project of the hypertelescope thanks to financial support from the College de France.
The future of the project depends in part on the work of volunteers and the contributions of members of the Association, coming in addition to work by members of the Observatory of the Cote d’Azur (OCA) and other organizations with which it has linked with for this project.
The OCA in addition to the strong support of an astronomer, also vice-president of the association, allows us access to its site of Calern with its infrastructure and his mechanical workshop for machining critical parts.
Other support came from the LOMA laboratory attached to the CNRS and the University of Bordeaux and IOGS (Institute of optics Graduate School), who work on the project through a collaborations with the OCA. LOMA has manufactured a motorized interference eyepiece and IOGS is working on the development of a simulation model of the optical system.
Each new season of experimentation is a new challenge, both human and scientific, which takes place in austere conditions close to nature on the heights of the Alps de Haute Provence.
Dozens of amateur astronomers are already actively involved in the project, and the project could not have started without their inputs in software, mechanics, electronics design, observation time, etc… And their ranks grow as the project develops.
The principle of the Hypertelescopes, after 18 years of studies, numerical simulations, in laboratory as well as on the sky, has been widely validated by different teams. The feasibility of its implementation, in various forms, became firmly established by the full-scale tests began a decade ago.
Simulations have clarified its imaging performance at high resolution, and demonstrated that it should be required for optical astronomy just has happened in radio astronomy interferometric antenna networks.
The French teams are advanced in this field, and the perception of the issue is particularly acute in the line of the great tradition that dates back to physicists Fresnel, Fourier and Fizeau.
It is thanks to them and it is thanks to you, than the intuition of Epicurus, who wrote ago 2300 years “could not demonstrate that there is no other worlds similar to this…”. is poised to become a subject of observation.
Money…
Studies and development of the techniques, mechanical and computer equipment require investments that the members of the association provide with in addition occasionally some public institution financial aid.
The Hypertelescope project is highly dependent on new modes of financing, for its continuation and its success.
Public science funding agencies have demonstrated their power since their emergence a few centuries ago and their strengthening in the last century, but also sometimes their embarrassment when confronted to new and “disruptive” ideas
Historically, rich patrons sometimes remedied and helped by their financial contribution to the emergence of scientific breakthroughs
Also, the recent appearance of ‘crowdfunding’ could allow thousands of fans to assert their idea of what must be science by making a financial contribution.
Also, if the adventure interests you, if you want to assist us or show us your support, we invite you to our section where you can decide to help us to continue this great project in the way that suits you best.