MAGIC (telescope)
Very-high-energy photon telescope in the Canary Islands, Spain / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov Telescopes, later renamed to MAGIC Florian Goebel Telescopes) is a system of two Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes situated at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, at about 2200 m above sea level. MAGIC detects particle showers released by gamma rays, using the Cherenkov radiation, i.e., faint light radiated by the charged particles in the showers. With a diameter of 17 meters for the reflecting surface, it was the largest in the world before the construction of H.E.S.S. II.
The first MAGIC telescope | |
Alternative names | MAGIC ![]() |
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Part of | Roque de los Muchachos Observatory ![]() |
Location(s) | La Palma, Atlantic Ocean, international waters |
Coordinates | 28°45′43″N 17°53′24″W ![]() |
Altitude | 2,200 m (7,200 ft) ![]() |
Wavelength | Gamma rays (indirectly) |
Built | 2004 |
First light | 2004, 2009 ![]() |
Telescope style | IACT reflecting telescope gamma-ray telescope ![]() |
Diameter | 17 m (55 ft 9 in) ![]() |
Collecting area | 236 m2 (2,540 sq ft) ![]() |
Focal length | f/D 1.03 |
Mounting | metal structure |
Replaced | HEGRA ![]() |
Website | magic![]() |
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The first telescope was built in 2004 and operated for five years in standalone mode. A second MAGIC telescope (MAGIC-II), at a distance of 85 m from the first one, started taking data in July 2009. Together they integrate the MAGIC telescope stereoscopic system.[1]
MAGIC is sensitive to cosmic gamma rays with photon energies between 50 GeV (later lowered to 25 GeV) and 30 TeV due to its large mirror; other ground-based gamma-ray telescopes typically observe gamma energies above 200–300 GeV. Gamma-ray astronomy also utilizes satellite-based detectors, which can detect gamma-rays in the energy range from keV up to several GeV.