Active optics system for the CTIO 4-m telescope

German Schumacher; Jack Baldwin; Gabriel Perez; Eduardo Mondaca

doi:10.1117/12.211448

8 June 1995 Active optics system for the CTIO 4-m telescope

German Schumacher, Jack Baldwin, Gabriel Perez, Eduardo Mondaca

Proceedings Volume 2479, Telescope Control Systems; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.211448
Event: SPIE's 1995 Symposium on OE/Aerospace Sensing and Dual Use Photonics, 1995, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

The 4 m telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory has recently been fitted with an active optics system. As with the NTT and other active-optics telescopes, coma is corrected by tilting the secondary mirror while the other low-order aberrations are removed by deforming the primary mirror. The modifications to the telescope include a new computer- controlled collimation/focus unit for the secondary mirror, and the conversion to active control of the 33 axial supports for the primary mirror. The system works quite well, in spite of having been built at low cost and having to deal with an `old technology' thick primary mirror. We describe here the hardware and software control approach, along with the first results following installation.

Citation Download Citation

German Schumacher, Jack Baldwin, Gabriel Perez, and Eduardo Mondaca "Active optics system for the CTIO 4-m telescope", Proc. SPIE 2479, Telescope Control Systems, (8 June 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.211448

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