On Saturday, a series of telescopes on the island of Tenerife will go live as part of a project called SONG (Stellar Observations Network Group), a collaboration between astronomers from Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen.
Professor Jørgen Christensen-Dalsgaard, the head of the Danish Asteroseismology Centre at Aarhus University, told DR Nyheder the SONG network will be put to a different use from the giant telescopes being launched into space by the space agencies. “It can observe things it takes a long time to observe,” he said.
Next step: China
The telescopes will be used primarily to study the inner structure and development of stars by observing so-called starquakes, the stellar equivalent of an earthquake. This will require observing the same stars for extended periods.
The next significant step for the project will be the unveiling of a telescope currently being set up in China. SONG will eventually consist of eight telescopes spread around the world in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
