Well established – object-oriented - Eplan

Company news November 2004
Reach for the stars
The world’s largest telescope is being built
on La Palma with the help of EPLAN
The Canaries are well-known as one
of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations,
thanks to their unique landscape
and pleasant climate. However,
a less well-known fact is that this
group of islands in the Atlantic is
ideal for star-gazing, because of its
exceptionally clear nights. Institutes
and research organizations from
about 20 countries have installed
telescopes on the Canaries. A leading
international observatory is located
on La Palma, where the world’s largest
telescope with a diameter of
10.4 meters is currently being built.
And EPLAN 5 is being used for the
electrical project planning.
The shimmering silver cupola of the
astronomical observatory Observatorio
del Roque de Los Muchachos presides
over the 2,400 meter high crater edge
of the Caldera de Taburienta on the
island of La Palma. Scientists from 13
countries and 26 organizations, including
the Federal Republic of Germany,
go there to monitor the night skies to
expand our knowledge of the universe.
Optimum conditions
Various factors including the absence
of industry, a low population density
and a location well away from air and
light pollution make the mountain sum-
mit an ideal research
location. In order to
ensure that this remains
the case, the “Protection
of the Astronomical Sky
Act”, the only one of its
kind in the world, has
been passed. This Act
not only regulates the
lighting on the island – all street lights
must only illuminate downwards, and
illuminated hoardings must also be
turned off altogether at midnight – but
also the air traffic. Aircraft are only
permitted to fly at certain times and on
predefined routes over the Roque de
Los Muchachos.
Inside view of the telescope
State of the art technology
The IAC (Instituto de Astrofísica de
Canarias), which is supported by universities
in the United States and
Mexico, has provided the site for the
Spanish initiative Gran Telescopio
CANARIAS (GTC), which includes the
observatory on La Palma. The IAC
ensures that the technical equipment
used in the 100 million Euro project is
capable of utilizing the external conditions
to optimum effect. Therefore,
there are high requirements in terms of
innovative technology and optimum
design and production quality of all
components. The lighting of the instal-
lation, the control and positioning of
the telescope, the opening of the giant
cupola of the planetarium and the
sophisticated, turbulence-free ventilation
system necessitate automation at
its finest.
It wasn’t too long after the Institute discovered
the leading CAE software, that
it became convinced of EPLAN’s benefits.
As a result, the entire process of
automating the observatory now lies
in EPLAN’s hands. Although the new
telescope will not commence operation
until 2005, plans for the next project
are already underway. The highly
positive initial experiences will now be
used for a telescope worth 160 million
Euros – and EPLAN 5 will, of course,
be on board once again.
5