First Science From EU Mega Telescope

A groundbreaking mega-telescope technique developed by astronomers as part of an EU-funded project has produced it's first high-resolution images of distant galaxies.

The project uses a system whereby radio telescopes around the world are linked up to simultaneously observe the most remote objects in the universe.

According to scientists, the level of detail is equivalent to identifying a football on the moon.

The technique, called Electronic Very Long Baseline Interferometry (e-VLBI), helps to reveal clues on how galaxies are formed by allowing astronomers to receive and process data in near real-time as an experiment is running, thanks to high speed optical networks.

This allows multiple radio telescopes throughout the world to work together to simulate one giant telescope. Two high- capacity electronic communications networks projects, EXPReS and NEXPReS, which have received €7.4 million in EU funding, are supporting the development and use of e-VLBI astronomy.

Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes said: "It's great news that European researchers have managed to use innovative techniques to make much more effective use of radio telescopes to probe distant galaxies."

(DW/BMcC)