The European Solar Telescope (EST) is a pan-European project to build a next-generation 4-metre class solar telescope, to be located at the

Roque de los Muchachos Observatory Roque de los Muchachos Observatory ( es, Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos, ORM) is an astronomical observatory located in the municipality of Garafía on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain. The observatory site is operated ...

in the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Mo ...

, Spain. It will use state-of-the-art instruments with high spatial and temporal resolution that can efficiently produce two-dimensional spectral information in order to study the

Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared rad ...

's magnetic coupling between its deep

photosphere The photosphere is a star's outer shell from which light is radiated. The term itself is derived from Ancient Greek roots, φῶς, φωτός/''phos, photos'' meaning "light" and σφαῖρα/''sphaira'' meaning "sphere", in reference to it ...

and upper

chromosphere A chromosphere ("sphere of color") is the second layer of a star's atmosphere, located above the photosphere and below the solar transition region and corona. The term usually refers to the Sun's chromosphere, but not exclusively. In the S ...

. This will require diagnostics of the thermal, dynamic and magnetic properties of the plasma over many scale heights, by using multiple wavelength imaging,

spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter ...

and spectropolarimetry. The EST design will strongly emphasise the use of a large number of visible and

near-infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...

instruments simultaneously, thereby improving photon efficiency and diagnostic capabilities relative to other existing or proposed ground-based or space-borne solar telescopes. In May 2011 EST was at the end of its conceptual design study. The EST is being developed by the European Association for Solar Telescopes (EAST), which was set up to ensure the continuation of solar physics within the European community. Its main goal is to develop, construct and operate the EST. The European Solar Telescope is often regarded as the counterpart of the American Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope which finished construction in November 2021.

Conceptual design study

The conceptual design study conducted by research institutions and industrial companies was finalized in May 2011. The study took 3 years, cost €7 million and was co-financed by the European Commission under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7). The study estimates a €150 million to design and construct the EST and projects about €6.5 million annually for its operation.

Partners

The European Association for Solar Telescopes (EAST) is a consortium of 7 research institutions and 29 industrial partners from 15 European countries, that exists with the aim, among others, of undertaking the development of EST, to keep Europe in the frontier of Solar Physics in the world. As well as EAST intends to develop, construct and operate a next-generation large aperture European Solar Telescope (EST) in the

, Canaries, Spain.

References

Notes

External links

Official EST homepage

European Association for Solar Telescopes website

European Solar Telescope in the Canary Island
{{Portal bar, Astronomy, Stars, Spaceflight, Outer space, Solar System Solar telescopes Proposed telescopes European Union Astrophysics Plasma physics facilities Astronomical observatories in the Canary Islands

Conceptual design study

Partners

See also

References

Notes

External links