Pioneering the Future of Solar Exploration: UK and Europe Unite to Build Europe’s Largest Solar Telescope in Spain

• 26 July 2023
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A groundbreaking collaboration between the University of Sheffield and nine European countries, including the United Kingdom, has been unveiled, heralding the creation of the European Solar Telescope (EST).

Poised to be the largest solar telescope in Europe, this ambitious project aims to unlock unprecedented insights into space weather phenomena, revolutionizing our understanding of the sun’s impact on Earth’s geomagnetic storms and influencing modern technological societies.

The official announcement on 25th July 2023 marks a significant stride towards solar exploration, promising valuable advancements in the field of space science. EST’s primary mission is to unravel the intricate mechanisms behind ‘space weather,’ the solar-driven events that trigger phenomena like the mesmerizing northern lights, while significantly impacting our technological infrastructure.

Professor Robertus von Fay-Siebenburgen from the University of Sheffield’s School of Mathematics and Statistics expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “The EST represents an unparalleled union of researchers from the UK and Europe, harnessing their collective expertise to create an extraordinary solar observatory.”

“The telescope’s advanced capabilities will empower European astronomers and plasma physicists to make profound discoveries, not only enhancing our comprehension of solar activities but also paving the way for scientific breakthroughs in addressing global challenges, such as the development of sustainable green energy solutions,” added the professor.

The EST will enable unprecedented scrutiny of the solar chromosphere, unraveling the mysteries of plasma heating processes and offering a profound understanding of nature’s creation, which is set to benefit humanity immensely.

A crucial aspect of the telescope’s mission is to meticulously study the sun’s magnetic field in unprecedented detail, unveiling signals hidden within the solar noise and revealing the existence of minuscule, invisible magnetic structures.

Designed with precision, the EST’s configurations and optical devices will probe the magnetic field and dynamics of the solar atmosphere, capturing interactions between the sun’s diverse atmospheric layers like never before.

Complementing its remarkable features, the telescope will be equipped with a comprehensive array of instruments that enable simultaneous observations across multiple wavelengths. This distinctive capability will elevate EST’s efficiency above existing or future telescopes, both terrestrial and space-based.

With a planned first light scheduled for 2028-2029 after six years of meticulous construction, EST is on course to redefine solar observation, sparking a new era of discoveries and bolstering global scientific progress.

The University of Physics and Astronomy School of Medicine’s professors have welcomed the inception of Europe’s largest solar telescope, hailing it as a transformative step towards understanding our celestial neighborhood and its profound implications.

For further information on the extraordinary EST project, please visit: www.est-east.eu