2nd March 2024

This month the LJMU project team welcomed colleagues from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) for a collaborative visit that spanned both the Liverpool Telescope (LT) site and the LJMU offices. 

Last March was a busy month for our team as we traveled to the Liverpool Telescope for a series of important activities. João Bento (DevOps engineer) and Chloé Miossec (instrument scientist), met with colleagues from the IAC at the telescope site, showing them the LT and its computing set up. João also guided the team through the future NRT site to demonstrate the plans for the construction of the new telescope, which will build upon the experience of the LT and GTC.

 
Left: Chloé, Alberto and Cesar at the Liverpool Telescope. Right: Wavefront sensor on the Liverpool Telescope.

Chloé spent much of the visit working on a crucial piece of technology: the wavefront sensor. This instrument is essential for aligning the 18 segments of the NRT’s primary mirror. The prototype, designed to verify the instrument’s principle, was successfully tested on the Liverpool Telescope during the trip. After their time at the LT site, the IAC team returned to Liverpool John Moores University to visit the NRT and LT offices. There, they collaborated with the NRT software team, focusing on understanding how to integrate the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) into the NRT software system. The team also took time to explore Liverpool’s vibrant culture; a chance to appreciate the city’s rich history alongside their scientific endeavors.

L:R Helen, Adam, Cesar, David, Alberto, João and Chloé having lunch together in Liverpool.

This visit further strengthened the collaboration between NRT and IAC, laying the groundwork for continued partnership in the development of the next-generation telescope.