U. of Arizona Gets $20-Million Gift for Telescope Project

A technology entrepreneur in Scottsdale, Ariz., has donated $20-million toward the University of Arizona’s engagement in the Giant Magellan Telescope project, an international effort to construct a higher-powered eye on the universe in the Chilean desert, reports The Arizona Republic. The gift from Richard F. Caris will help the school meet its commitment to raising $60-million for the telescope, for which the university is manufacturing giant mirrors.

Mr. Caris is the founder and chairman of Interface Inc., which manufactures high-tech equipment for several industries, and is a previous donor to astronomy projects at the University of Arizona. The school is one of several partner institutions in building the Giant Magellan, which is scheduled to be completed in 2021. It will give astronomers a view of the universe at 10 times the resolution of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.