VERITAS

VERITAS, the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System, is a major gamma-ray observatory at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in southern Arizona, United States.

About VERITAS

VERITAS is an array of four 12-metre optical reflectors that detect gamma rays using the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope technique, capturing the particle showers that gamma rays trigger in Earth's atmosphere. Completed in 2007, the array is sensitive across the 100 GeV to 10 TeV band, with reach extending from 50 GeV up to 50 TeV, and its design builds on the earlier Whipple 10-metre gamma-ray telescope located at the same site.

Telescopes & research

Rather than viewing visible light, VERITAS's four reflectors work together to image extensive air showers caused by very high energy gamma rays. Its collection area and energy coverage complement the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope's Large Area Telescope, making VERITAS part of the ground-based half of modern gamma-ray astronomy.

Location & getting there

The array sits at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in southern Arizona, at an elevation of 1,268 metres, in the North America region. The high desert site provides the dark, dry conditions that Cherenkov telescopes need.

Visiting VERITAS

VERITAS is a working research facility rather than a general tourist site. Check the VERITAS website or the Whipple Observatory's visitor information for any public tours or open-house events before planning a trip.

See your named star from here

VERITAS itself hunts gamma rays rather than starlight, but its high-elevation Arizona home sits among some of the country's darkest skies for stargazing. A star named through Star Register comes with the exact coordinates to find it from a spot like this. Use the star-naming packages to get a certificate and locator details, or browse the catalogue to see stars already named by others.