The key components of modern telescopes are the metal mirrors which need to be positioned with extreme precision.
"All the mirrors must be produced and characterized with extreme precision, that is to an accuracy of less than one micrometer.
They also have to be exactly positioned in relation to each other," explains Sebastian Scheiding from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in Jena, Germany.
Nowadays the mirrors are individually fitted into the telescope and the imaging quality is measured. In case of inaccuracies the position of the mirrors is adjusted and a new measurement is done. This process of measurements and adjustments is repeated until the mirrors are perfectly positioned.
This costly process has been improved by the scientists of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF who not only made the entire process faster, but also managed to increase the precision and thus, the performances of the final telescopes.
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