The MAGIC Cherenkov Telescope for gamma ray astronomy

Abstract

The Major Atmospheric Gamma ray Imaging Cherenkov Telescope (MAGIC) is in commissioning phase and will start to become fully operative by the end of 2003. Located at El Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain), it has the largest reflector area (17 m diameter) of all the existing Cherenkov telescopes. New technologies have been used to reduce the energy threshold for gamma-ray detection to about 30 GeV. Due to its characteristics, the catalog of very high energy sources will considerably increase with the MAGIC observations, anticipating exciting results for the near future. An overview of the telescope, its current status and first results, together with a highlight of the scientific research is presented.