Mirror for Discovery Channel Telescope nears completion

Lowell Observatory photograph

The Associated Press reports that engineers are putting the finishing touches on an ultrathin mirror that is a vital part of the Discovery Channel Telescope in Flagstaff.

The instrument’s $44 million pricetag was partially responsible for layoffs earlier this year at Lowell Observatory, a National Historic Landmark site that is home to the telescope used in the discovery of Pluto.

Read the story: Final touches on ‘crucial’ part of telescope