Performance of the Apache Point Observatory 3.5-m telescope: II, pointing and tracking

Russell E. Owen; Charles L. Hull; Walter A. Siegmund

doi:10.1117/12.19254

1 July 1990 Performance of the Apache Point Observatory 3.5-m telescope: II, pointing and tracking

Russell E. Owen, Charles L. Hull, Walter A. Siegmund

Proceedings Volume 1236, Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes IV; (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.19254
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation for the 21st Century, 1990, Tucson, AZ, United States

Abstract

The Apache Point Observatory 3.5-m telescope, loated in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico at an elevation of 2.8 km, is awaiting the installation of the primary mirror. The design of this telescope includes a number of innovative features including a lightweight honeycomb borosilicate mirror, friction drives and encoding, and complete computer control to facilitate remote use. A 0.3-m telescope was attached to the telescope mount to monitor tracking and pointing performance. Currently, the telescope tracks open-loop to 0.3 arcsec rms over 10 min and points to 5 arcsec rms. Improvements to the servosystem and encoder mounting should make it possible to meet the goals of tracking to 0.2 arcsec rms and pointing to 1 arcsec rms.

Citation Download Citation

Russell E. Owen, Charles L. Hull, and Walter A. Siegmund "Performance of the Apache Point Observatory 3.5-m telescope: II, pointing and tracking", Proc. SPIE 1236, Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes IV, (1 July 1990); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.19254

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