We haven’t said much about GMagAO-X since the PDR went well, but we’re still a key part of the collaboration’s suite of instruments. This week we’re in the Steward news talking about what the future instrument could mean for science:
At first light, astronomers will use a special tool called GMag AO-X, an “extreme AO” coronagraph. It will block out starlight and reveal the faint glimmers of orbiting planets.
“The Giant Magellan Telescope will be a major upgrade for our ability to study planets around other stars, especially when we take pictures of them using the in-development instrument GMag AO-X,” said Jared Males from the University of Arizona.
“The big improvement in resolution and sensitivity over today’s telescopes will open the most exciting science case imaginable: looking for life on those planets by focusing on their atmospheres,” he enthused.’
Read more at the original article: “The Giant Magellan Telescope ushers in a new era of astronomy” by Eric Ralls