A new era in sky observation is dawning. The COLIBRI telescope has captured its first images since its installation in Mexico.
Its mission? To track the most fleeting phenomena in the Universe in under 20 seconds. An unprecedented tool in astrophysics.
Ground-based COLIBRI telescope in its dome. Its performance, combining both excellent sensitivity, remarkable speed, and coverage of wavelengths from visible to near-infrared, is unmatched on the international level.
The telescope and its dome can move toward any part of the sky in under 20 seconds, making COLIBRI the fastest telescope of its kind.
© COLIBRI & A. Watson, UNAM
Designed to react to transient astronomical events, COLIBRI stands out for its exceptional speed. It can point to any region of the sky in record time: less than twenty seconds! This achievement allows it to capture gamma-ray bursts or other nearly instantaneous luminous phenomena.
The SVOM mission, a French-Mexican collaboration, initiated this project to better understand these rare events. Gamma-ray bursts, for example, provide essential clues about the earliest stars and galaxies in the Universe. Thanks to its 1.30 meter (4.27 ft) diameter mirror, COLIBRI can produce unmatched images in the visible and infrared spectrum.
The telescope's automation maximizes its efficiency. Alerts about transient phenomena sent by the SVOM satellite are immediately processed by COLIBRI without any human intervention. This speed opens up new observational opportunities for scientists, particularly in the study of gravitational waves or cosmic neutrinos.
The telescope was assembled in France before its shipment to Mexico. Its capabilities were tested for over a year to ensure its reliability. Now, installed at the San Pedro Mártir Observatory, COLIBRI is ready to capture the mysteries of the Universe.
With this telescope, France and Mexico are strengthening their scientific cooperation. COLIBRI becomes the first astrophysics research infrastructure shared between the two countries, laying the groundwork for future collaborations in space exploration.
What is a gamma-ray burst?
Gamma-ray bursts are the most violent phenomena observed in the Universe. They occur when a massive star collapses into a black hole or when two neutron stars collide. These events release tremendous amounts of energy in the form of gamma rays.
Gamma-ray bursts occur randomly and typically last from a few milliseconds to several minutes. Observing them is crucial to understanding the final stages of stellar evolution and the origin of black holes. These bursts also help trace the history of the Universe by providing information about the earliest stars and galaxies.
Thanks to its ability to quickly and precisely point, the COLIBRI telescope plays a key role in detecting these events. By observing them in the visible and infrared, it enables the analysis of light emitted after the burst, uncovering essential details about their source.
Article author: Cédric DEPOND