Mitteilung
Endgültiger Entwurf für das neue VLT-Instrument CUBES erstellt
7. August 2025
Der Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph (CUBES), ein zukünftiges Instrument für das Very Large Telescope (VLT) der ESO, hat die abschließende Designprüfung erfolgreich bestanden. Nachdem die ESO grünes Licht für die Herstellung des Instruments gegeben hat, ist das VLT dem Ziel, ein eigenes ultraviolettes „Auge am Himmel“ zu erhalten, einen Schritt näher gekommen. CUBES wird unter anderem nach Wasser im Asteroidengürtel suchen und den ultravioletten kosmischen Hintergrund erforschen.
Die ESO hat nun den Bau von CUBES genehmigt, einem bodengestützten Spektrografen, der speziell für die Beobachtung von ultravioletter oder UV-Strahlung bei 300–400 Nanometern geeignet ist, einem Bereich des Lichtspektrums, der mit Großteleskopen noch nie mit so hoher Empfindlichkeit erforscht wurde. Die Beobachtung des Ultraviolettbereichs vom Boden aus ist unglaublich schwierig, da die Erdatmosphäre die meisten Photonen in diesem Lichtbereich blockiert, während Weltraumteleskope in der Regel zu klein sind, um weit entfernte und schwache Objekte in diesem Wellenlängenbereich zu sehen. Dies macht CUBES zu einem mit Spannung erwarteten und revolutionären Instrument.
Nachdem das CUBES-Konsortium unter der Leitung des italienischen Nationalen Instituts für Astrophysik (INAF) grünes Licht für die Fertigung erhalten hat, wird es bald mit dem Bau beginnen. Das Instrument wird voraussichtlich noch in diesem Jahrzehnt das erste Licht erblicken, wenn es an einer Teleskopeinheit des VLT installiert wird.
Mit CUBES werden Astronominnen und Astronomen in der Lage sein, die schwächsten Objekte in unserem Sonnensystem, einschließlich Asteroiden und Kometen, im Ultraviolett zu erforschen und ihre Zusammensetzung zu bestimmen. Kometen sind die Überbleibsel unseres Sonnensystems, deren Untersuchung den Forschenden ein besseres Verständnis für unsere eigenen Anfänge ermöglicht. In unserer Galaxie wird CUBES den Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern dabei helfen, die Häufigkeit von Schlüsselelementen in den Atmosphären der Sterne mit noch nie dagewesener Genauigkeit zu bestimmen. Im extragalaktischen Kosmos wird es dazu beitragen, die normale (baryonische) Materie zu ergründen und zu untersuchen, die im Gas der Galaxien erwartet wird. Weiterhin ist CUBES ideal geeignet, um den ultravioletten kosmischen Hintergrund zu untersuchen, eine diffuse Strahlung, die den Raum zwischen Galaxien durchdringt und die Entstehung von Sternen beeinflusst.
Weitere Informationen
Das CUBES-Konsortium besteht aus:
- Italien: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, and Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte;
- Vereinigtes Königreich: UK Astronomy Technology Centre (Science and Technology Facilities Council); Durham University Centre for Advanced Instrumentation;
- Deutschland: Landessternwarte, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg;
- Brasilien: USP – Institute for Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Science; Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica;
- Polen: Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center;
- Slovenien: University of Ljubljana, University of Nova Gorica;
- ESO
Links
Kontaktinformationen
Bárbara Ferreira
ESO Media Manager
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6670
Email: press@eso.org
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