Word: heliostats
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...huge to follow the sun itself, the parabolic reflector depends on the help of 63 smaller mirrors set in eight rows on a terraced slope in front of it. Called heliostats (from the Greek helios, sun; statos, to cause to stand still), they track the solar disk across the sky, capture its light and bounce it in parallel beams into the big mirror. The system involves some ingenious engineering. Each heliostat is controlled by its own photoelectric cells. Whenever one of the hehostats (each of which is made 180 individual mirrors) loses its lock on the sun, these tiny electric...