Tracking A 150 Ton Altitude-Azimuth Telescope To Sub-Arcsecond Accuracy

David J. Barlow; Daniel R. Blanco; Anthony D. Poyner

doi:10.1117/12.939812

3 June 1987 Tracking A 150 Ton Altitude-Azimuth Telescope To Sub-Arcsecond Accuracy

David J. Barlow, Daniel R. Blanco, Anthony D. Poyner

Proceedings Volume 0748, Structural Mechanics of Optical Systems II; (1987) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.939812
Event: OE LASE'87 and EO Imaging Symposium, 1987, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

The Multiple Mirror Telescope is a 150 ton optical instrument composed of an array of six 1.8 m diameter folded Cassegrain telescopes. A mount for the array uses conventional ball bearings and gear trains to permit the telescope to track in two axes, azimuth and altitude. A computer-controlled servo system uses a 26-bit absolute encoder and associated electronics to achieve an all-sky pointing accuracy approaching 1.0 arcsecond RMS, and a tracking accuracy approaching 0.1 arcsecond RMS.

Citation Download Citation

David J. Barlow, Daniel R. Blanco, and Anthony D. Poyner "Tracking A 150 Ton Altitude-Azimuth Telescope To Sub-Arcsecond Accuracy", Proc. SPIE 0748, Structural Mechanics of Optical Systems II, (3 June 1987); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.939812

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available