Документ взят из кэша поисковой машины. Адрес оригинального документа : http://www.apo.nmsu.edu/Telescopes/ARCprogress/051214ARC20Anniv/Presentations/History/BG_20-yrAnniversaryTalk.pdf Дата изменения: Fri Aug 1 18:27:21 2014 Дата индексирования: Sun Apr 10 09:53:50 2016 Кодировка: Поисковые слова: solar rotation

The situation in early 1993
· Telescope and site structures completed, but ­ primary mirror in box, PMSS under construction ­ 2ndary and tertiary mirrors being polished ­ no instruments yet at site · SDSS construction started, but full funding commitments pending · Arranged for [Margon?] solar eclipse on 10 May 1994, use occasion to hold dedication of 3.5-meter telescope · Left about a year to bring the telescope and instruments into operational state


And so, a miracle happens here

Telescope dedicated (while observing the sun during eclipse), and was operational for science that night.


Vision, reality
Remote hands-on internet operation: [still] works great Fast-change multi-instrument capability: manual at first; heading toward multi-port fast change capability [got it] Excellent pointing and tracking: 1 arcsec goal; can usually point to within ~few arcsec [or better] Excellent delivered image quality: 0.5 arcsec goal; often subarcsecond, but still feel we could improve about .3 arcsec [median seeing still about 1 arcsec] Full suite of science instruments: Got them, upgraded them, have plans and paths to replace aging instruments [and continuing to this day] ["Partner" user support model; high priority on telescope and facility maintenance; recruit and retain an excellent staff]


Ten years of improvements, e.g.,
· 1994-96: adaptive optics tests, added offset guider, calibration lamps, laser guide star tests, replaced enclosure wheels · 1997-98: commissioned SPIcam, new M1 support servo, 2ndary bracing and stiffening, DIS slit viewer, commissioned Echelle, thermal management program, automated cal lamps · 1999-2000: New 2ndary mirror, rotation and tilt of tertiary, telescope monitoring telemetry system, S-H optics tester and collimation procedures, new gratings for DIS, 100-baseT LAN · · · 2001-04: aluminum flooring, DIS upgrades, new remote observing software, stray-light baffles completed, NIC-FPS delivered [Annual site operations meetings organized over 10 years] Future: fast guiding [nope], more instrument rotators [one], mirror coating facility [nope], new axis controllers [yes], auto-focus [yes], 2ndary/tertiary supports & actuators [yes]



Visiting Instruments [in first decade]
· · · · · · · · · · · · · 10-micron array - Dan Gazari 12-micron spectrograph - Don Jennings Drift-scan Camera - Tim McKay, Jim Annis SPIcam - Chris Stubbs Goddard Fabrey-Perot imager - Bruce Woodgate AOTF - John Hillman, Nancy Chanover ChAOS, ChILE - Ed Kibblewhite InSB IR Camera - Bruce Woodgate LLNL FTS - Chris Stubbs Amber Camera - Dick Newton InSB IR Camera - Sean Casey APOLLO Lunar Ranging- Chris Stubbs CorMASS - Mike Skrutskie, John Wilson


Future roles, challenges for our mid-sized telescope
[as seen in 2004]

· 4-m telescopes now considered small * · put priority and resources toward dedicated and specialized projects uniquely matched to the telescope and its instrumentation · remote observing access + fast instrument change enables innovative observing modes, opening new kinds of scientific exploration and educational experiences, most not well suited for largest telescopes
*see T. Oswalt s Science in the Shadow of Giants: The Future of Small Telescopes


New roles, observing modes
[as seen in 2004]

· Niche science opportunities: ­ fast-response observations of transient phenomena ­ remote-control, queue-scheduled observations ­ large (and backup) programs ­ synergy with other telescopes, follow-up observations ­ surveys, synoptic and temporal monitoring programs ­ solar system programs ­ new instrument testing · General-purpose programs · Outreach and teaching