ngEHT is on to the next round

The next generation Event Horizon Telescope will transform the EHT, an award-winning international network of radio telescopes used to image black holes. The first image taken of the black whole of M87 has gone viral as a massive breakthrough for the scientific community. mtex and the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian are currently working on the next generation event horizon telescope, which will be able to study more distant objects and even take videos of the formation of black holes.

The CfA team from Cambridge visited metx a few weeks ago to elaborate on the final design for the first ngEHT telescope. Its location will be at the Teide Observatory on the island of Tenerife. Hosting our customers for the first time is always a special time for mtex. We held a two-day meeting and visited one of mtex‘ most important partner CONCAD GmbH.

All in all, mtex is very happy with the outcome of this visit, took on a few more adjustments to work on and can’t wait for the next milestone to conquer.

A huge Thanks to Sopro Bauchemie Gmbh for hosting the Event at their new Campus in Mainz Kastel. It was incredibly well organized, and the food was delicious! 

Thank you, Jens, Mario, Andreas and Patrick! 

Photo taken by Sopro Bauchemie GmbH

next generation Very Large Array

The German Wetterstein Millimeter Telescope is gaining ground

The Julius Maximilians University Würzburg hosted a two-day workshop at the Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus, addressing the science and technology at the WMT. Our own Lutz Stenvers was invited to give a talk on the design and feasibility of the telescope.

Given its location on top of the German Zugspitze and the challenges of accessing the site, building the antenna will be no easy task. To ensure feasibility, mtex has conducted a wide range of research and calculations, particularly regarding the transport of the telescope components. In conclusion, there are two transport options: the Bavarian Zugspitzbahn and a helicopter-both of which will be needed. Thirteen larger components must be delivered by helicopter, while the others will be transported via the cogwheel railway. These options impose limitations on the design in terms of component weight and size. Nevertheless, the Wetterstein Millimeter Telescope is a passion project for mtex—and if anything, we see the challenge as an opportunity to grow.

The WMT is designed as an interdisciplinary research platform, bringing together astronomy, geosciences, environmental studies, and advancements in data and technology. It will be integrated into international networks such as the European VLBI Network and the Global mm-VLBI Array and will offer long baselines to support major upcoming projects like the next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) and the Square Kilometer Array (SKA VLBI). The WMT is the first step into the LEVERAGE concept for Germany.