ANU 2.3m Telescope
The ANU 2.3m Telescope was built in the early 1980s, at the initiative of the then director, Don Mathewson. The entire project was managed by the observatory's own technical staff, and a large amount of the construction was also undertaken in-house.
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About
The ANU 2.3m Telescope was built in the early 1980s, at the initiative of the then director, Don Mathewson. The entire project was managed by the observatory's own technical staff, and a large amount of the construction was also undertaken in-house. The design of the 2.3m Telescope, also called the Advanced Technology Telescope, incorporated three radical features never before combined in a single instrument - an uncommonly thin mirror, an alt-az mount, and a rotating building.
The 2.3m Telescope is frequently used by students from RSAA and other universities, and provides hands-on experience of observing with a large optical astronomical telescope.
Observing time on the 2.3m Telescope is allocated by the RSAA time assignment committee each quarter based on written applications for use. See the Information for observers page for more information about who can apply, and how to apply for time.
Specifications
- 2.3m, f/2.05 primary mirror
- 4715mm focal length
- 2300mm outside diameter
- 500mm diameter central hole
- 3.973 square metre collecting area
- 0.3m, f/7.85 secondary for Nasmyth
- 18056mm focal length
- Plate scale : 4.964 arcsec/mm
- 80mm diameter (6.62 arcmin) unvignetted field of view
- 0.3m, f/7.85 tip-tilt secondary for Cassegrain (18056mm focal length )
- Alt-Azimuth telecope mount
Equipment
CASPIR was an infrared imager and spectrograph that was designed and constructed at MSO for operation on the 2.3m telescope.
The Dual-Beam Spectrograph was a general purpose optical slit spectrograph that was mounted at the Nasmyth A focus of the ANU 2.3m telescope.
The 2.3m Echelle is a high-resolution echelle spectrograph that operates at mid-optical wavelengths, previously mounted on the ANU 2.3m telescope.
The tiptilt system were developed at RSAA for the 2.3m telescope, to correct motion of the guide star caused by atmospheric seeing and guide errors.
WiFeS is an integral-field, or imaging, spectrograph, meaning that it records a spectrum from each pixel of the region that is imaged. WiFeS was designed and built at RSAA and installed at the 2.3m telescope in May 2009.
Location
Siding Spring Observatory