The European Commission recently established the planned gamma-ray observatory as the European Research Infrastructure Consortium, or ERIC, which will accelerate the construction of the telescope and create a framework for disseminating its data.
In other words, we will soon have a record-breaking observatory for studying gamma-ray sources, some of the most energetic and mysterious objects in the Universe. The full name of the observatory is the Cherenkov Telescope Observatory (CTAO), and it will be “the world’s most powerful ground-based observatory for very high energy gamma-ray astronomy,” according to the European Southern Observatory. On February 13, the ERIC Board authorized Japan to become a strategic partner and recognized the United States, Brazil, and Australia as third members, paving the way for the telescope to become a reality.
Gamma rays are the most energetic waves in the electromagnetic spectrum. They are produced by some of the most energetic objects in the universe, including black holes, neutron stars, and supernovae, as well as by ordinary thunderstorms here on Earth.
“Over the past decade, people have discovered that these high-energy gamma rays are present in many types of very energetic astronomical phenomena, but we know little about where they come from,” said Dave Kida, an astronomer at the University of Utah and CTAO’s U.S. representative, in a university release.
The brightest gamma-ray burst of all time, or Shuttle, was seen in October 2022. The 1-in-10,000-year event demonstrated the extreme prevalence of gamma rays in our universe and raised even more questions about powerful objects that emit gamma rays into space.
The CTAO will consist of two telescopes, one on the Spanish island of La Palma and the other at ESO’s Paranal Observatory. But ESO officials are now concerned that the clear skies over Paranal – one of the clearest on Earth – are under threat from a proposed industrial project near the site that could reduce the extremely dark environment that helps the observatory see deep in space.
The Earth’s atmosphere prevents gamma rays from reaching the planet’s surface, but the rays interact with the atmosphere to form high-energy particles.
“These particles travel faster than the speed of light in the air, and as a result, they emit a flash of eerie blue Cherenkov radiation – similar to the sonic boom created by an airplane traveling above the speed of sound,” the ESO press release says. “CTAO’s mirrors and high-speed cameras will capture these short-lived flashes and pinpoint their direction. This will allow each gamma ray to be traced back to its cosmic source, enabling astronomers to solve some of the most mysterious mysteries in astrophysics.”
The CTAO will consist of 64 telescopes around the world – 13 in the Northern Hemisphere and 51 in the Southern Hemisphere. Data from the observatory will be made available to the public.
