Telescopes that observe the countless stars scattered across the night sky. Among these, AGC’s product is used in the “Subaru Telescope” located in Hawaii, far from Japan.
Question1What is the Subaru Telescope?
The Subaru Telescope is a large optical infrared telescope belonging to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, located on Mauna Kea (4,205m above sea level) on the island of Hawaii in the United States.
It began observations in January 1999, and at the time it was the world's largest single-mirror telescope, and even today it continues to play an important role in revealing the secrets of the universe.
Question2How does the Subaru Telescope work?
Have you ever used a magnifying glass to make something bigger? Actually,the way you look at stars through a telescope and the way you look at something bigger through a magnifying glass are almost the same.
A magnifying glass uses a single lens to make an object bigger. A telescope uses a combination of an objective lens and an eyepiece lens to make an object bigger.
The Subaru Telescope uses a combination of lenses to correct the light reflected by the huge mirror inside, creating a large beam of light, and then uses an image sensor to create an image of this light, allowing us to see the distant universe more clearly.
Question3 Where is AGC product used in the Subaru Telescope?
One of the important components for astronomical observation is the camera that records images.
The Subaru Telescope uses a large digital camera that can capture clear images of stars and galaxies. AGC’s synthetic quartz glass is used for the window glass that keeps the image sensor in a vacuum state, and AGC’s bandpass filters are used to allow only specific wavelengths to pass through.
Question4Where else is AGC's synthetic quartz glass used?
The electrical appliances you use every day contain precision components called semiconductors. To make semiconductors, it is necessary to have a device that can precisely form electrical circuits using a very fine laser. AGC's synthetic quartz glass is used as the lens material for this device.
AGC's synthetic quartz glass is ultra-pure, with almost no expansion or contraction due to temperature changes, and has a high light transmittance and excellent laser durability.
This is why it is possible to produce semiconductor electrical circuits with precision and stability when transmitting laser light.
AGC’s technology is used in various places, from the distant Subaru Telescope in Hawaii to familiar household electronics.
When you look at the stars, remember AGC!
