MAGIC – Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov Telescope

The MAGIC telescopes at Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma (Image: R. Wagner)
The MAGIC telescopes at Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma (Image: R. Wagner)

With a reflector diameter of 17 meters each, the two MAGIC telescopes are the most sensitive Cherenkov telescopes in the world, especially in the energy range below 200 gigaelectronvolts (GeV). Their line of sight is directed at objects that emit gamma rays ranging from 30 GeV to 100 TeV (teraelectronvolts). This means that MAGIC can cover an enormous energy spectrum.

The twin telescopes are located 2,200 meters above sea level on the Canary Island of La Palma where the clear skies and lack of light pollution make for optimal observing conditions. The Max Planck Institute for Physics (MPP) leads the international collaboration of about 165 astrophysicists from 24 research institutions in eleven countries. Together, they are responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of the telescopes. MAGIC allows astrophysicists to obtain first class data for gaining scientific insights into enigmatic objects and the most violent processes in the universe.

The MAGIC telescopes have been in operation since 2003 and 2009 respectively. The MPP played a major role in the development and construction of their mechanical structure, imaging cameras and calibration system.

Since the outset, MAGIC has delivered many valuable scientific discoveries.

Information on the MAGIC Group

News releases

01/13/2016

The most energetic light ever observed from a few kilometres large star

Extremely energetic photons from the Crab Pulsar are discovered — Observations outshine previous measurements

The Crab Pulsar has set a new record: The neutron star in the Crab Nebula is sending out the most energetic light radiation that has ever been measured from a star. This observation could challenge our current understanding of pulsars. Moreover, a new mechanism, little understood up to now, appears…

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12/16/2015

Dispatches from the “middle ages” of the universe: MAGIC telescopes measure gamma radiation from a remote galaxy

For the first time, scientists have observed gamma radiation from a well-known distant galaxy. In the center of the active galaxy PKS 1441+25 resides a massive black hole, which is surrounded by a luminous disk of matter. The latest observation leads not only to a better understanding of active…

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07/07/2015

Spanish King visits MAGIC

The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canaria (IAC) on Tenerife was honored by a visit of Felipe VI, King of Spain. The king was the VIP guest at the ceremony for IAC’s 30th anniversary. The next day, the monarch visited also the MAGIC telescopes on the island of La Palma, where he gained insight into…

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07/06/2015

A black hole under the gravitational lens

Turbulent processes take place close to supermassive black holes, which lurk in the centres of nearly all galaxies. They swallow up matter flowing in from the outside while at the same time producing so-called gas jets which shoot out into space in two opposite directions. Researchers at the Max…

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11/06/2014

MAGIC telescopes observe an extremely short, powerful outburst of radiation in Galaxy IC 310

The radio galaxy IC 310 in the Perseus constellation is approximately 260 million light years away from Earth. Astronomers assume there is a supermassive black hole at its centre. This black hole was the setting for an extremely powerful outburst of gamma rays which was observed by the MAGIC…

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Group members

E-mail address: e-mail@mpp.mpg.de
Phone number: +49 89 32354-extension
name function e-mail extension office
Arbet-Engels, Axel, Dr. Postdoc aarbet 289 235
Bautista Sierra, Angela Yulieth Student bautista 312 236
Berti, Alessio Postdoc aberti 227 224
Besenrieder, Jürgen Engineering jhose 224 125
Ceribella, Giovanni, Dr. Postdoc ceribell 291 222
Chai, Yating PhD Student ytchai 312 236
Chon, Gayoung Visiting Scientist gchon 328 232
Green, David, Dr. Postdoc damgreen 289 235
Green, Jarred Gershon PhD Student jgreen 259 233
Hahn, Alexander PhD Student ahahn 421 234
Heckmann, Lea PhD Student heckmann 259 233
Jobst, Sophie Elli Student ejobst 312 236
Mazin, Daniel, Dr. Senior Scientist mazin 255 110
Mirzoyan, Razmik, Dr. Senior Scientist razmik 328 232
Nozaki, Seiya, Dr. Postdoc nozaki 227 224
Paneque, David, Dr. Senior Scientist dpaneque 349 231
Pirola, Giorgio PhD Student gpirola 259 233
Scherpenberg, Juliane van PhD Student jvsch 234 421
Schmuckermaier, Felix PhD Student fschmuck 485 128
Schweizer, Thomas, Dr. Senior Scientist tschweiz 291 222
Silvestri, Giuseppe Visiting Scientist silvestr 259 233
Strom, Derek, Dr. Engineering dstrom 422 332
Teshima, Masahiro, Dr. Director mteshima 301 217
Werner, Diana Secretary dwerner 364 215
Will, Martin, Dr. Postdoc mwill 291 222

Key publications

Detection of very high energy gamma-ray emission from the gravitationally-lensed blazar QSO B0218+357 with the MAGIC telescopes
MAGIC Collaboration
arxiv:1609.01095

Teraelectronvolt pulsed emission from the Crab Pulsar detected by MAGIC
MAGIC Collaboration
Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 585 (January 2016)
doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201526853

Very high Energy γ-Ray from the universe’s middle age: Detection of the z = 0.940 Blazar PKS 1441+25 with MAGIC
Magic Collaboration
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 815:L23 (8pp), 2015 December 20
doi:10.1088/2041-8205/815/2L23

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