08 Jan 2025
EC establishes large ground-based gamma-ray observatory CTAO ERIC
Yesterday, the European Commission established the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory European Research Infrastructures Consortium (CTAO ERIC). This Consortium will construct and operate the world's largest and most powerful ground-based gamma-ray observatory, making a significant milestone in global astro-particle physics. This pioneering facility is expected to revolutionise our understanding of the universe, driving groundbreaking science in the next decades.
By bridging the gap between particle physics and astronomy, the CTAO will enable disruptive scientific breakthroughs, fostering a new era of multi-messenger astronomy that will shape the future of science in the 21st century. The Observatory is expected to be operational at the end of the current decade. Up to now, the design and implementation of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) was prepared as a non-profit company under German law, providing the administrative and operational foundation for its transition to a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC).
The CTAO will comprise telescopes located in Spain (the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma) and Chile (the Paranal Observatory of ESO), with its legal seat in Italy and data centre in Germany. This research infrastructure will strengthen collaboration among researchers, industry partners, and policymakers, promoting the circulation of human resources, ideas, and innovations across Europe and beyond.
Embracing the principles of Open Science, the Observatory will break new ground by adopting an open, proposal-driven approach, offering public access to its high-level science data and software products and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.
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