Astronomers can watch stars being born.

• Position: Binocular Telescope - Brief article

A new instrument for the world's largest optical telescope, the Large Binocular Telescope on Mt. Graham, allows astronomers to observe the faintest and most distant objects in the universe. Scientists in the U.S., Germany, and Italy have announced that the first of two new innovative near-infrared cameras/spectrographs for the LBT now is available to astronomers for observations at the telescope in southeastern Arizona.

After more than a decade of design, manufacturing, and testing, the new instrument (dubbed Lucifer 1) provides a powerful tool to gain spectacular insights from the universe--from the Milky Way to extremely distant galaxies. Lucifer, built by a consortium of German institutes, will be followed by an identical twin instrument that will be delivered to the telescope in early 2011. "With the large light-gathering power of the LBT, astronomers are now able to collect the spectral fingerprints of the faintest and most distant objects in the universe," marvels LBT director Richard Green.

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Lucifer 1 and its twin ultimately will be mounted at the focus points of...