The "Gran Telescopio de Canarias" (GTC): First Light of the Largest Optical Telescope on Earth (Free Astronomy Public Lectures)

Presented by Professor Rafael Guzman on 3rd May 2013.The GTC is the last -and the largest- of the new generation of large ground-based observatories that have opened up a new era of discoveries in astronomy at the dawn of the XXIst Century. The GTC has been built by a consortium of institutions from Spain, Mexico and the University of Florida. In this talk, I will review the general characteristics of this state-of-the-art telescope. I will also describe the main contributions of the University of Florida to its world-class instrumentation, and will present the first scientific results ranging from the birth of the universe to the detection of new planets to be obtained after its first light.