A new window onto the Universe
4MOST (4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope) is a wide-field spectroscopic instrument developed by an international consortium of 15 institutes in Germany, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK, under leadership of the Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP). It can observe thousands of stars and galaxies simultaneously.
Thanks to this exceptional capability, it will enable scientists to:
• Map the southern sky in great detail,
• Probe the structure of the Milky Way,
• Study the formation and evolution of galaxies,
• Deepen our understanding of the history of the Universe.
The achievement of its First Light confirms the instrument’s full functionality and marks the beginning of its operational phase.
Bertin Technologies’s expertise at the heart of a major international project
Within this international collaboration, Bertin Technologies plays a central role. Specialized in high-performance optical systems, our teams in Pertuis location have produced several critical components for the spectrographs:
– 2 slitlenses,
– 3 collimateurs of 600 mm,
– 9 aberration correctors,
– 6 low-resolution cameras, each integrating 4 aspherical lenses.
In total, nearly 38 optical components, all delivering outstanding wavefront quality, were designed and manufactured for the project.
This contribution includes the first 300 mm aspherical optics ever produced by Bertin Technologies, made possible thanks to innovative technologies enabling the direct machining of off-axis parabolae. This achievement showcases our ability to meet major technical challenges and deliver cutting-edge solutions for world-class scientific instruments.
A long-standing collaboration with CRAL
4MOST represents the second major collaboration between Bertin Technologies and the CRAL – Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon.
The first one, of remarkable scope, involved the MUSE instrument of the Very Large Telescope, for which Bertin Technologies produced more than 2,500 optical components and subassemblies.
Congratulations and thank you
Through 4MOST, our expertise fully contributes to the French momentum in scientific and industrial innovation.
A heartfelt thank you to all the teams at CRAL, and Bertin Technologies, and to all the researchers, technicians, and engineers involved in this ambitious venture.
The presence of Julien Marque and Piero Bruno, warmly welcomed by CRAL during their First Light event at the Lyon Observatory, highlighted Bertin Technologies’ commitment and pride in contributing to a scientific project of such significance.
