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A new infrared telescope is the first of its kind to monitor the entire northern sky in search of cosmic events.
Designed and built by astronomers from the Australian National University (ANU) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Gattini-IR will sweep the northern skies once a night.
From their position at the Palomar Observatory in California, astronomers can observe and study "changing and changing events, with unprecedented speed and precision," announced the UNA's announcement. .
"By creating a real-time mosaic of the northern sky each evening, we are going to collect many fascinating artifacts and dramatic events, such as the latest stirring of dying stars obscured by dust and the detection of some of the oldest stars of our galaxy, "said Anna Moore, director of the ANU's School of Astronomy and Astrophysics Research.
"Until now, these phenomena were actually invisible to researchers because they could not be seen with the help of optical telescopes," said the co-principal investigator in a statement.
"In addition to allowing us to see through the dust clouds," she continued, "infrared light can tell us a lot about the formation of heavy elements, such as gold and platinum, during the fusion of neutron stars.
An image of the Andromeda galaxy and satellite galaxies taken with the Gattini-IR telescope (via the Palomar Gattini-IR team)
Like the one the researchers spotted last year: In August 2017, scientists observed the first confirmed fusion of two neutron stars, dubbed GW170817.
"We now know that neutron star collisions glow in the infrared, and Palomar Gattini – IR is the demonstration instrument of this detection method," said Mr Moore.
Why should the northern sky attract all attention?
Moore and his main research partner, Mansi Kasliwal, of Caltech, have proposed a second generation project targeting the southern sky.
The program, called DREAMS (Dynamic Open Skies Monitoring Study), will develop a more sensitive infrared telescope at the New South Wales ANU Siding Spring Observatory.
"Palomar Gattini-IR is a forerunner of more ambitious projects that will allow the research team to know exactly which heavy elements are used in neutron star mergers … and will help us answer other important questions about universe, "said Kasliwal.
The proposed telescope could even put astronomers on the path of searching for the oldest stars of the Milky Way.
"The data from DREAMS could be used to improve the scientific understanding of the formation of our galaxy," according to Jamie Soon, a researcher at ANU PhD and a member of the research team.
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