Posted: Mon, Jan 21, 2002, 2:30 PM ET (1930 GMT)
Astronomers and officials dedicated the Gemini South observatory in Chile on Friday. The 8-meter telescope, atop Cerro Pachon in the Chilean Andes, will join a twin telescope, Gemini North, completed in 1999 on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Although the observatory was dedicated during a Friday ceremony that featured representatives of the seven nations involved in Gemini, including the US and UK, the telescope has been performing observations for some time, such as joint observations with Gemini North. The two telescopes will allow astronomers to observe any part of the sky using identical telescopes, each equipped with adaptive optics systems that correct for atmospheric blurring and optimized for observations at infrared wavelengths.

Related Links:

•  Astronomy article
•  SPACE.com article
•  NSF press release
•  Gemini South dedication page