Giant Magellan Telescope, Gregorian telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.
The Giant Magellan Telescope is a Gregorian telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, using seven mirror segments. The main structure rises 65 meters above the ground and carries an optical system whose aperture measures more than 25 meters.
Site preparation began with the first blast to level the mountain peak on 23 March 2012, and construction started with a groundbreaking ceremony in November 2015. The casting of the first primary mirror was completed on 3 November 2005, and by 2023 all seven mirrors had been cast. The project is developed by the GMTO Corporation, a consortium of institutions from seven countries.
The GMT is run by the GMTO Corporation, a consortium of research institutions from seven countries: Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States. The central mirror is named after Richard F. Caris, who donated US$20 million to the project.
The site sits over 2500 meters (8200 feet) high in the Atacama Desert and offers more than 300 clear nights per year. Low humidity and isolation from urban light sources provide good observing conditions.
The seven mirrors were cast individually and each required several years to manufacture. Polishing each segment was done to a precision smaller than a human hair thickness.
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