Summary: With today’s technology, astronomers can see billions of years into the past, but they’ve never been able to see the first light emitted in the universe after the Big Bang. That could be about to change thanks to a new high-powered telescope being developed by the University of Chicago and ten partner organizations. The billion dollar Giant Magellan Telescope is one of the first in a new generation of extremely large, earth-based telescopes, which may spur a new era for astronomy. Wendy Freedman is the board chair for the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization, and a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the U of C. She joins us with more.
