Description

The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) Adaptive Secondary Mirror (ASM) is one of the most advanced adaptive optics mirror systems ever designed for ground-based astronomy. Composed of seven adaptive mirror segments, each measuring 1.06 meters in diameter, the system is engineered to compensate in real time for atmospheric turbulence and optical distortions, ensuring exceptional image quality and precision, while guaranteeing the accurate co-phasing of the mirror segments under gravity, thermal and wind disturbances.The adaptive secondary mirror plays a key role in enabling the GMT to achieve unprecedented observational capabilities, supporting next-generation astronomical research from the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. The project faces several challenges, including the largely aspherical shape of the six ‘eternal’ segments composing the adaptive secondary and the difficulties related to the optical co-phasing of the segments.