The TNG is equipped with 3 instruments permanently installed in its foci and offers a variety of observing modes covering the optical and near-infrared spectrum, offering wide-field imaging up to high-resolution spectroscopy.

Its most relevant instrument is the HARPS-N “High Precision Radial Speed ​​Planter in the Northern Hemisphere. It is one of the most accurate spectrographs in the world that has the main objective of discovering and characterizing extrasolar planets the size of the Earth (Echelle spectrometer at 383-633 nm wavelengths and with spectral resolution of R = 115000). In practice HARPS-N measures the slight oscillation of the star caused by the presence of the planet (in m/s) with which it can estimate the mass of the exoplanets, their chemical composition and distance to the star.

History

The agreements for the construction of the telescope in La Palma were signed in 1979 and the telescope The telescope saw its “first light” in 1998. Until June 2004, the telescope was operated by the Galileo Galilei Genter, created in 1997 by the Consorzio Nazionale per l’Astronomia e l’Astrofisica (CNAA). From  July 27, 2004, the new Galileo Galilei Foundation, funded by the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), is responsible for the management of the TNG.

Results

The TNG is currently looking mainly for exoplanets, a very relevant field in astrophysics at the moment. The first exoplanet discovered by the TNG was the Kepler 78 b, a planet similar to Earth in size and mass but much hotter, surface temperature can reach 5,000 degrees. Another exoplanet also in the news, and found by the TNG (published May 2017), belongs to the star GJ625 (Gliese 625), a red dwarf close to the Sun, is in the area of ​​habitability, which means that could host lifetime. The Kepler 78b and the planet of GJ625 are some of the more than 1,000 already discovered exoplanets (Earth-like planets).

Curiosities

In February 2013, an international team, led by Spanish astrophysicists, characterized the 2012 asteroid DA14 using the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) and the Galileo Nazionale Telescope at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma. They were able to measure the maximum approach to Earth.

In the TNG, all the rooms are kept at a certain temperature, which varies depending on the room. The telescope should be half a degree below the minimum outside temperature recorded the previous night to minimize the airflow around the telescope and avoid turbulence that greatly reduces the image quality caused by the temperature gradient when opening the telescope.

The second building, dome of the telescope is a structure of an approximate height of 26 m. And occupies an area of ​​about 400 m2. The building is entirely made of metal structure, with a fixed first floor, while the other 3 can rotate around the vertical axis of the building, in solidarity, in synchrony with the rotation of the telescope.

In the TNG, all the rooms are kept at a certain temperature, which varies depending on the room.. The telescope should be half a degree below the minimum outside temperature recorded the previous night to minimize the airflow around the telescope and avoid turbulence that greatly reduces the image quality caused by the temperature gradient when opening the telescope.

The second building, dome of the telescope is a structure of an approximate height of 26 m. And occupies an area of ​​about 400 m2. The building is entirely made of metal structure, with a fixed first floor, while the other 3 can rotate around the vertical axis of the building, in solidarity, in synchrony with the rotation of the telescope.

More about the other telescopes at the Observatory Roque de Los Muchachos can be found on the official web of the Observatory. Also here at Gran Telescopio de Canarias and William Herschel Telescope.

La entrada The Nazionale Galileo Telescope se publicó primero en AstroLaPalma.