227
an idea of how extraordinary this detection is in an exoplanet so close to its
parent star, imagine being able to distinguish from Neptune a lighted match
in New York with the city in flames. The detail seen on asteroids and comets
will be help us better understand the origin of the Solar System and even the
presence of water on earth. What else might be discovered if there were the
funds for the full exploitation of the GTC?
This miracle is the fruit of the hard work of the many people who give their
daily and nightly support to the GTC, especially the sleepless nights of its two
directors: first Dr Pedro Álvarez and now Dr Romano Corradi. Neither should
the long battle permanently waged by the IAC to secure funds be forgotten;
these efforts have made it possible for the Gran Telescopio Canarias to continue observing: without those efforts there would have been no other option
than to close it down.
It is also just to recognize and extol the patriotism and generosity of the
Canary Islanders, particularly in these politically centrifugal times, when
Spain’s autonomous regions have developed a selfish tendency to contemplate
their own navels. Ever since the creation of GRANTECAN, S.A., the Canarian
Government has provided significant funding to this project, without
demanding observing time in return or other privileges for their local compatriots. And the same may be said of the IAC.
It is only fair to end this chapter by making a special mention of three
people who have been key to the GTC project. But first let me underline in
red that to build and put into operation this large telescope is in itself an act
of prowess, but to achieve such a thing is Spain is a feat of epic proportions.
The three persons I am going to mention are quite different from one another
but curiously they have a basic training in common: they are all physics graduates. Because they graduated before astrophysics was taught in Spanish universities, they followed different career paths. Ramón Ascanio Togores took
up technology in a private company, José Miguel Rodríguez Espinosa became
an astrophysicist in the United States, and Pedro Álvarez Martín trained as an
astrophysicist at the IAC, his career soon following a path dedicated to instrumentation when he became head of the IAC’s Instrumentation Division.
From the commencement of its construction to the commissioning of the
GTC Dr Rodríguez Espinosa, with his good nature, professionalism, rigour,
and patience, has brought about the effective participation of the Spanish
astrophysical community, and has seen to it that the telescope has not fallen
short of the scientific performance expected of it. Next, one has to focus the
spotlight on a person who, behind the scenes, has always continued to guarantee that the administrative and managerial machinery ran smoothly in truly
difficult conditions in such a country as ours. I refer to Ramón Ascanio:
21 The Biggest, Most Advanced Telescope in the World (1989–Present)
an idea of how extraordinary this detection is in an exoplanet so close to its
parent star, imagine being able to distinguish from Neptune a lighted match
in New York with the city in flames. The detail seen on asteroids and comets
will be help us better understand the origin of the Solar System and even the
presence of water on earth. What else might be discovered if there were the
funds for the full exploitation of the GTC?
This miracle is the fruit of the hard work of the many people who give their
daily and nightly support to the GTC, especially the sleepless nights of its two
directors: first Dr Pedro Álvarez and now Dr Romano Corradi. Neither should
the long battle permanently waged by the IAC to secure funds be forgotten;
these efforts have made it possible for the Gran Telescopio Canarias to continue observing: without those efforts there would have been no other option
than to close it down.
It is also just to recognize and extol the patriotism and generosity of the
Canary Islanders, particularly in these politically centrifugal times, when
Spain’s autonomous regions have developed a selfish tendency to contemplate
their own navels. Ever since the creation of GRANTECAN, S.A., the Canarian
Government has provided significant funding to this project, without
demanding observing time in return or other privileges for their local compatriots. And the same may be said of the IAC.
It is only fair to end this chapter by making a special mention of three
people who have been key to the GTC project. But first let me underline in
red that to build and put into operation this large telescope is in itself an act
of prowess, but to achieve such a thing is Spain is a feat of epic proportions.
The three persons I am going to mention are quite different from one another
but curiously they have a basic training in common: they are all physics graduates. Because they graduated before astrophysics was taught in Spanish universities, they followed different career paths. Ramón Ascanio Togores took
up technology in a private company, José Miguel Rodríguez Espinosa became
an astrophysicist in the United States, and Pedro Álvarez Martín trained as an
astrophysicist at the IAC, his career soon following a path dedicated to instrumentation when he became head of the IAC’s Instrumentation Division.
From the commencement of its construction to the commissioning of the
GTC Dr Rodríguez Espinosa, with his good nature, professionalism, rigour,
and patience, has brought about the effective participation of the Spanish
astrophysical community, and has seen to it that the telescope has not fallen
short of the scientific performance expected of it. Next, one has to focus the
spotlight on a person who, behind the scenes, has always continued to guarantee that the administrative and managerial machinery ran smoothly in truly
difficult conditions in such a country as ours. I refer to Ramón Ascanio:
21 The Biggest, Most Advanced Telescope in the World (1989–Present)