Cosmic gamma-rays: Fascinating observations with Cherenkov telescopes

Using the ground-based Cherenkov telescopes, the sky can be scanned for high-energy gamma radiation. In January 2019, the two MAGIC telescopes on the Canary island of La Palma targeted a gamma-ray burst and measured the highest-energy radiation from such an object to date. It was thus possible to gain new insights into the processes in gamma-ray bursts. Scientists hope to find many more celestial bodies in the highest energy range. For this purpose, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) – with over one hundred individual telescopes – is currently being built on La Palma and in Chile.