A large reflective Schmidt telescope for the Antarctic plateau

Will Saunders; Andrew J. McGrath

doi:10.1117/12.550870

28 September 2004 A large reflective Schmidt telescope for the Antarctic plateau

Will Saunders, Andrew J. McGrath

Proceedings Volume 5489, Ground-based Telescopes; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.550870
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2004, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

We present a design concept for a 16 metre, wide-field, fixed-axis, all-reflective, segmented f/4 Schmidt telescope to take advantage of the unique possibilities of Antarctica for both optical and near infrared astronomy. The design allows observation of all RA/dec's accessible from Antarctica, with tracking times of several hours. Prime and Cassegrain foci are provided, giving plate scales 300-3000microns/", over fields of view 1.5'-0.5°. Diffraction limited, natural guide-star AO-corrected Kdark images are possible over arc-minute sized fields, over 70% of the sky. The sensitivity, resolution, field of view and cost all compare favourably with current or proposed space or ground-based telescopes.

Citation Download Citation

Will Saunders and Andrew J. McGrath "A large reflective Schmidt telescope for the Antarctic plateau", Proc. SPIE 5489, Ground-based Telescopes, (28 September 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.550870

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