LUCIFER (later renamed LUCI)

•  Large Binocular Telescope Near-infrared Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research.

• Name Change: The instrument was officially renamed LUCI in 2012.

• Infrared Vision: Each instrument cools to -213° Celsius (-351° Fahrenheit) to capture near-infrared light, which passes right through thick dust clouds that block normal visible light.

• Telescope Mount: Mounted at the focus points of the Large Binocular Telescope's twin 8.4-meter (27.6-foot) mirrors in Arizona.

• Spectroscopy and Imaging: It uses exchangeable cameras and multi-object masks to analyze the spectral fingerprints of newborn stars, planetary nurseries, and distant galaxies

• The near-infrared astronomical instrument LUCIFER was officially renamed LUCI in 2012 to put an end to public relations headaches and widespread internet conspiracy theories.

• Why the Name "LUCIFER" Was Chosen

• While intended as a cheeky, memorable name by the scientists, it unfortunately triggered an internet firestorm due to its geographical location:

  The Vatican Connection: The Vatican Observatory operates its own separate facility, the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), on the exact same mountain peak, just a few hundred metres away.

• The scientists were piecing together technical descriptors and did not intend a dark or religious double meaning, though public controversy later forced a name change to LUCI (and sometimes referred to as Lucy) LUCIFER stage name

• The Rumour: Internet bloggers and conspiracy theorists mashed these two separate facts together. They began falsely claiming that the Vatican owned and operated a telescope named "Lucifer" to hunt for aliens or demonic entities.

  

   Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) is one of the world’s most advanced optical telescopes, located at the Mount Graham International Observatory in southeastern Arizona. It is famous for its unique design, featuring two massive 8.4-metre mirrors mounted side-by-side on a single frame.