This Thursday, September 14 at 2:30 PM _ Observatory of the Côte d’Azur
The MATISSE instrument is a colossal tool, unique in the world, designed to amplify the power of 4 telescopes, enabling researchers to make very precise zooms and observe the sky with an unprecedented level of detail.
Its objective is to understand the origin of planet formation by observing protoplanetary disks.
The MATISSE project, presented by researchers from the Nice Observatory, was selected in 2005 by the ESO (European Southern Observatory) among 12 projects presented by several countries. It is one of the rare projects for which France has responsibility in the field of astronomy.
50 people are mobilized for this project (physicists, astronomers, and research engineers from 3 countries: France, Germany, and the Netherlands) under the responsibility of Bruno Lopez, Astronomer.
MATISSE will soon join the European Southern Observatory located in the Chilean Atacama Desert, where the sky is the purest in the world.
It will be connected to the VLT (Very Large Telescope): a set of 4 telescopes, each 8 meters in diameter, which can be used separately or combined to become the VLTI (Very Large Telescope Interferometer).
Before being completely disassembled and then packed to travel to the Chilean desert, we invite you tomorrow, Thursday, for a presentation of this unique tool that will help us understand and demonstrate how planets like Earth were formed.
Isabelle HENRY
Press Attaché
Directorate of Public Relations
METROPOLE NICE COTE D’AZUR
5, rue de l’Hôtel de ville – 06364 Nice cedex 4
’ 04 97 13 33 03 / Å 06 75 31 49 39
isabelle.henry@nicecotedazur.org
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