Telescope mirror manufacture. Manufacture of a mirror for use in one of the two Gemini telescopes. The mirror is seen from above, lit so that circular scrubbing patterns of the abrasive powder used by the polishing machine (lower centre) can be seen. The padding on the sides of the tower above the mirror help to prevent dust contamination. This 8-metre diameter mirror will be polished to an accuracy of less than 1 micrometre. The twin Gemini telescopes, each with a single mirror, are being built at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and Cerro Pachon, Chile. They will be used for optical & infrared observations. Photo taken in 1997 at REOSC workshops in Melun, France.