We are currently developing a conceptual design for a future ELT NIR large field of view imager-spectrograph, SMART-MOS, along with several science cases from which top level instrument requirements are being established. This project form part of the EU Framework 6 Joint Research Activity on Smart Focal Planes. The instrument will offer

The Advanced Solar Technology Telescope (ATST) is a 4-m solar telescope being designed for high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution, as well as IR and low-scattered light observations. The overall limit of performance of the telescope is strongly influenced by the qualities of the site at which it is located. Six sites were tested with a

In March 2004, the Commissioning Instrument (CI) for the GTC was accepted in the site of The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) located in La Palma Island, Spain. During the GTC integration phase, the CI will be a diagnostic tool for performance verification. The CI features four operation modes-imaging, pupil imaging, Curvature Wave-front sensing (WFS

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Kerr-Schild solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell field equations, containing semi-infinite axial singular lines, are investigated. It is shown that axial singularities break up the black hole, forming holes in the horizon. As a result, a tubelike region appears which allows matter to escape from the interior without crossing the horizon. It is argued