Construction of the European Solar Telescope (EST), led by the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics, is scheduled to begin on the island of La Palma in 2027, according to the announcement made at an event organised by the Accademia dei Lincei, one of the oldest and most prestigious scientific institutions in Europe.
The project involves 26 institutes from 18 countries including Italy, which is participating with the third largest group of researchers, three universities (Rome Tor Vergata, Catania and Calabria), the National Institute of Astrophysics and several companies.
If all goes to plan the new infrastructure, which will be the largest solar telescope in Europe, will be operational in 2029,
"The new telescope will allow us to understand the details of the interactions between magnetic field and plasma and will probe different layers of the solar atmosphere," said Francesca Zuccarello of the University of Catania. "In particular, the EST project will allow us to study the solar magnetic field with unprecedented accuracy in order to try to find answers to some of the remaining questions: what are the mechanisms behind the Sun's magnetic field, why does the solar corona have a higher temperature than the layers below, and what causes explosive events such as flares?” she said.
The event also saw the presentation of the documentary chronicling the journey of the EST project, produced by the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia and directed by Emilio J. García. The film includes 16 interviews with scientists involved in the project and footage shot in places such as the Accademia dei Lincei, where the study of the Sun began.
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