The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) will have a new director starting Sept.
1, 2005. Richard Green, currently director of Kitt Peak National
Observatory (KPNO), is making a move to the Large Binocular Telescope
Observatory to oversee the world’s most powerful ground-based telescope.
The LBT is at the Mount Graham International Observatory, located on Mount
Graham in southeast Arizona.
Green is joining the LBT team as it moves from the construction to
observational phase. Utilizing two 8.4-meter (27.6 feet) “honeycombed”
mirrors on a single mount, the LBT will be the first in a new era of
advanced optical telescopes with unprecedented celestial viewing
capabilities. The first mirror was installed in October 2004, and the
second will be installed later this year.
Peter Strittmatter, president of the Large Binocular Telescope Corporation,
said, „This is an exciting time for not only LBT, but the entire astronomy
community. The installation of the second mirror will allow us to see
deeper into space than ever before. The entire world will be watching and
we have confidence that Richard Green will be a tremendous addition to
lead the project as it moves into the observational phase. He is a man
with a great deal of experience and knowledge, and we look forward to
working with him.‰
Green received his doctorate in astronomy from the California Institute of
Technology in 1977. With nearly 30 years experience in the field, Green has
been involved in an impressive array of both ground based telescope
projects and deep space astrophysics missions. He has worked with the
National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) for over 20 years and was
named deputy director of NOAO in 1992.
In 1997 Green was named director of Kitt Peak National Observatory, where
he has overseen the development of numerous new astronomical instruments
that have kept KPNO competitive and at the center of new discoveries. Green
has also served as president of the WIYN Observatory Board, which is a
joint enterprise of the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale
University and the NOAO.
Green, who is an adjunct professor of astronomy and astronomer at The
University of Arizona, has also worked on a number of important deep
space missions. Examples include his service on the Space Telescope Imaging
Spectrograph instrument team for the Hubble Space Telescope and his work on
the NASA Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer mission science team.
Green said, „I look forward to working with John Hill and the outstanding
national and international team that have developed the world’s most
advanced telescope.”
John Hill served as the director of the LBT with distinction throughout the
critical design and construction process. He will continue as the technical
director for the project.
“LBT pushes the state of the art in telescope performance,” Green added,
“and it is a tremendous honor to be named the director. I‚m excited by the
challenge of completing the ambitious vision and satisfying the partners‚
scientific aspirations for this powerful, pathfinding telescope.‰
The $120 million LBT is run by the Large Binocular Telescope Corporation,
which was established in 1992. The project is an international
collaboration of leading astronomical institutions that include:
holds a 25 percent interest in the partnership and represents Arizona State
University and Northern Arizona University on the project.
the project and represents observatories in Florence, Bologna, Rome, Padua,
Milan and elsewhere in Italy.
LBT. It consists of the Max-Planck Society (MPIA Heidelberg, MPE
Garching/Munich, MPIfR Bonn), the Center for Astronomy (Heidelberg
University) and the AIP (Potsdam).
provides participation for the University of Notre Dame, the University of
Minnesota, and the University of Virginia.
More information, including high-resolution photographs of the LBT, can be
found online at http://www.lbto.org
