Telescope mirror to get shiny finish in major test run
In an airplane hangar in Columbus, OH, some 80 tons of steel, electronics, and cryogenic equipment are about to come together — all to deposit one ounce of aluminum as a near-perfect, whisper-thin coating on a giant telescope mirror. The successful operation of the coating system will represent a milestone in the construction of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), and a critical phase in Ohio State University ‘s participation in the LBT project.