* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: HESS II

Blobrana · L

HESS-II : a new camera for exploring the violent Universe

HESS, one of the world's best-performing ground-based gamma ray detectors, will soon boast a fifth telescope that will double its potential for making new discoveries. The telescope will be equipped with a camera designed and built by French scientists as part of the HESS joint project, which involves several CNRS laboratories such as IN2P3(1), INSU(2) and CEA-Irfu(3). Enhanced sensitivity provides this new electronic eye with an image twice as sharp as that of the cameras already installed on HESS. It has just been completed and is currently on display at the Ecole Polytechnique. This new camera will considerably increase the overall performance of HESS, which will be renamed HESS-II and will push back the boundaries of the visible, lifting the veil on the mysteries of the most violent phenomena in the Universe.
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Blobrana · L

Come Monday 20 April, Wesbank Transport in Walvis Bay will make history when they start transporting the steel structure for the HESS II telescope to its site near the Gamsberg in the Khomas Hochland. Wesbank starts loading this weekend to be ready for departure on Monday.
The transport will require about 10 abnormal loads as well as twice that in normal loads. Another record will be set during the project when the biggest single lift of over 300 tons will be done in Namibia making use of specialised lifting equipment, similar to that used building the 2010 soccer stadiums in South Africa.

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Blobrana · L

World's largest telescope to be mounted in Namibia to monitor the Milky Way
Farm Goellschau in the Khomas Highland in Namibia will soon be the home of HESS II, the world's largest telescope.
HESS is an acronym for High Energy Stereoscopic System and the system will be the largest telescope of its type in the world with a total weight of around 600 tonnes and a height of 68 meters above ground level - which, incidentally, will make it the tallest free standing structure in Namibia as well.

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