Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory
The Cherenkov Telescope Array or CTA is a project to build a new generation ground-based gamma-ray instrument in the energy range extending from some tens of GeV to above 100 TeV. It is proposed as an open observatory and will consist of two arrays of IACTs, a first array at the northern hemisphere with emphasis on the study of extragalactic objects at the lowest possible energies, and a second array at the southern hemisphere, which is to cover the full energy range and concentrate on galactic sources. The physics program of CTA goes beyond high energy astrophysics into Cosmology and Fundamental Physics.
CTA intends to improve the flux sensitivity of the current generation of IACTs such as MAGIC, HESS, and VERITAS by an order of magnitude. It will foreseeably consist of tens of IACTs of different mirror sizes. Production of the first telescope prototypes will start in 2013. CTA is designed and will be built by an international collaboration of scientists, with a strong involvement of European institutions. The project is on the road-map of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), the European Astroparticle Physics network ASPERA and the European Astrophysics network ASTRONET. A movie showing the an artists impression of the telescope array can be found here.