Anglo-Australian Telescope
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Anglo-Australian Telescope
A 3.9-m reflector opened in 1974 at the Anglo-Australian Observatory, New South Wales. In 1995 it was fitted with a corrector lens at the prime focus which gives it a two-degree field of view (2dF); an array of fibre optics at the prime focus allows simultaneous spectroscopy of up to 400 stars or galaxies over this wide field of view. http://www.aao.gov.au/AAO/about/aat.html
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Anglo-Australian Telescope
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| Anglo-Australian Telescope | |
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| Organization | Australian Astronomical Observatory |
|---|---|
| Location | Siding Spring Observatory, Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°16′31″S 149°04′02″E / 31.2754°S 149.0672°ECoordinates: 31°16′31″S 149°04′02″E / 31.2754°S 149.0672°E |
| Wavelength | optical, IR |
| Built | 1974 |
| Telescope style | prime/Cassegrain/coudé |
| Diameter | 3.9 m, 12.8 ft |
| Collecting area | 12 m2, 129 ft2 |
| Focal length | 12.7 m, 42.7 ft |
| Mounting | equatorial |
| Dome | spherical |
| Website | http://www.aao.gov.au/about/aat.html |
The Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) is a 3.9 m equatorially mounted telescope operated by the Australian Astronomical Observatory and situated at the Siding Spring Observatory, Australia at an altitude of a little over 1100 m. In 2009, the telescope was ranked as the 5th highest-impact of the world's optical telescopes. In 2001-2003, it was considered the most scientifically productive 4 metre-class optical telescope in the world based on scientific publications using data from the telescope.[1][2] The telescope was commissioned in 1974 with a view to allowing high quality observations of the sky from the southern hemisphere (at the time, most major telescopes were located in the northern hemisphere).
It was constructed by Australia and the United Kingdom but has been entirely funded by Australia since 2010.[3] Observing time is available to astronomers worldwide. It is equipped with a number of instruments, including the Two Degree Field facility (2dF), a robotic optical fibre positioner for obtaining spectroscopy of up to 400 objects over a 2° field of view simultaneously; the University College London Échelle Spectrograph (UCLES), a high-resolution optical spectrograph which has been used to discover many extrasolar planets; and IRIS2, a wide-field infrared camera and spectrograph.
The AAT was one of the last large telescopes built with an equatorial mount. More recent large telescopes have instead adopted the more compact and mechanically stable altazimuth mount. The AAT was however one of the very first telescopes to be fully computer-controlled, and set new standards for pointing and tracking accuracy.
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Contemporaries on commissioning
The AAT debuted at about the 3rd largest in the world, just a little smaller and built later than the Mayall 4m, but the AAT views the southern sky.
| # | Name / Observatory |
Image | Aperture | Altitude | First Light |
Special advocate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hale Telescope Palomar Obs. |
 |
200 inch 508 cm |
1713 m (5620 ft) |
1949 | Edwin Hubble |
| 2 | Mayall Telescope Kitt Peak National Obs. |
 |
158 inch 401 cm |
2120 m (6955 ft) |
1973 | Nicholas U. Mayall |
| 3 | Anglo-Australian Telescope Siding Spring Obs. |
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153 inch 389 cm |
1134 m (3720 ft) |
1974 | Prince Charles |
| 4 | Shane Telescope Lick Observatory |
 |
120 inch 305 cm |
1283 m (4209 ft) |
1959 | C. Donald Shane |
See also
References
- ^ Fred Watson (6 January 2009). "Across the universe". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/across-the-universe/2009/01/05/1231003937356.html. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ Tammy Plonter (11 September 2008). "Australian Telescope Leads the World In Astronomy Research". Universe Today. http://www.universetoday.com/17930/australian-telescope-leads-the-world-in-astronomy-research/.
- ^ Nick Lomb (June 15, 2010). "Australia's largest optical telescope to become part of the Australian Astronomical Observatory on 1 July 2010 and to celebrate its 36th birthday". Sydney Observatory. http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/2010/australias-largest-optical-telescope-to-become-the-australian-astronomical-observatory-on-1-july-2010-and-to-celebrate-its-36th-birthday/.
External links
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Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy
A Dictionary of Astronomy. © 1997
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