The Big Picture: Telescope tech shines a rainbow on a train station
To celebrate Amsterdam Central Station's 125th anniversary, Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde has transformed one of its facades into a rainbow-colored wonder using telescope technology. Roosegaarde has partnered with University of Leiden astronomers to conjure up a projector that floods the station's 45-meter arched roof with lights resembling a rainbow. These lights fit the semi-circular roof perfectly, thanks to a new type of liquid crystal technology being developed by the Leiden University astronomers for exoplanet observation. According to Glass is more, the Leiden team is using the same technology on the components it's building for the European Extremely Large Telescope, which has recently begun construction. Want to see the rainbow light show for yourself? If you're going to Amsterdam within the next year, head over to the east side of the Central Station, where the rainbow is visible everyday for one whole hour right after sunset.
[Image credit: Studio Roosegaarde]
