Science@DO is joined by U-M Astronomy Professor Michael Meyer to share the story of how Michigan got involved with the biggest optical telescope in the world.

UM’s first president Henry Tappan realized the value of research infrastructure,

commissioning one of the largest telescopes of its time for Detroit Observatory.

That tradition has continued to inspire discoveries through the decades using

the MDM Observatories in Arizona, and the Magellan Observatory in Chile. Now UM

has joined four instrument consortia to build a suite of instruments for the 39 meter

ELT which will be the largest telescope of its kind when completed late this decade.

The ELT will have over x30 the light gathering power of NASA’s JWST and over

x15 the fineness of detail of the Hubble Space Telescope. UM astronomers

will participate in the exciting discoveries it will enable from observations

of the first stars and galaxies formed early in the Universe to discovery

and characterization of planets like Earth around the very nearest stars

to the Sun.

Prof. Michael Meyer has more than 25 years of international scientific research experience, in the fields of galactic and infrared astronomy, as well as the formation, evolution, and characterization of planetary systems (and associated implications on the prospects for life in the Universe). He has experience participating in the development of ground- and space-based instrumentation, including both the NIRCam and NIRISS instruments for the James Webb Space Telescope as well as high contrast imaging systems/spectrographs for 6-10 meter telescopes and next generation extremely large telescopes.

Talk begins at 7PM. The historic Detroit Observatory will be open for tours following the talk. Telescope observing will be available, weather permitting.