Russian scientists pin
hopes on new observatory for Galactic center gauging
April 06, 18:46UTC+3
The Millimetron observatory is designed for exploring outer space objects in the millimeter, sub-millimeter and far infrared spectral ranges
The Millimetron observatory is designed for exploring outer space objects in the millimeter, sub-millimeter and far infrared spectral ranges
© EPA/NASA/ESA
KHIMKI (Moscow Region),
April 6. /TASS/. Russian scientists are pinning their hopes on the Spektr-M
(Millimetron) space observatory to determine the apparent size of our Galaxy’s
center and win the Nobel Prize, Laboratory Head of the Physical Institute’s
Astro Space Center Yuri Kovalyov said on Thursday.
"We are now trying
to establish its apparent size [the Galaxy’s center]," the researcher said
at a scientific and technical council at the Lavochkin Research and Production
association.
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"What will happen,
if the center of our Galaxy is strongly obscured by dust and gas that we won’t
be able to discern what is actually present there in the center? For this case,
we have the next step we count on. This is the Millimetron project, which will
operate in the millimeter and the sub-millimeter ranges where scattering will
play a lesser role. If we don’t win the Nobel Prize in RadioAstron [space
observatory project] for the discovery of supermassive black holes, then we’ll
surely do this with the Millimetron, unless someone manages to do this before
us," the researcher said.
"But if someone
tries to do this, he won’t succeed without taking into account the new effect
of radio scattering discovered by us," he said.
