French Scope in Mexico

France has cut a deal with the Baja California government to house a French-made robotic telescope that will track the celestial movements of a French satellite known as SVOM, which is to be launched in 2012.

According to the daily Frontera, the project will be located in the Sierra de San Pedro Martir, a mountainous area outside Ensenada, because of its alignment with the trajectory of the satellite and the area´s unusually clear skies devoid of light pollution.

The French ambassador to Mexico will visit Baja in October in order to finalize the deal with the governor and initiate construction of the observatory that will house the satellite-tracking superscope.