Commissioning experience with the 9.2-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope

被引:2
作者
Barnes, TG [1 ]
Adams, MT [1 ]
Booth, JA [1 ]
Cornell, ME [1 ]
Gaffney, N [1 ]
Fowler, JR [1 ]
Hill, GJ [1 ]
Hill, GM [1 ]
Nance, C [1 ]
Piché, F [1 ]
Ramsey, LW [1 ]
Ricklefs, RL [1 ]
Spiesman, WJ [1 ]
Worthington, PT [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Texas, McDonald Observ, Austin, TX 78712 USA
来源
TELESCOPE STRUCTURES, ENCLOSURES, CONTROLS, ASSEMBLY/INTEGRATION/VALIDATION, AND COMMISSIONING | 2000年 / 4004卷
关键词
Hobby-Eberly Telescope; large telescopes; commissioning; segmented primary mirrors;
D O I
10.1117/12.393924
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
The HET is unique among 9-meter class telescopes in featuring an Arecibo-like design with a focal surface tracker. The focal surface tracker causes image quality and pointing/tracking performance to interact in a complex way that has no precedent in astronomical telescope system design and that has presented unusual demands upon commissioning. The fixed-elevation, segmented primary-mirror array offers some simplifications over traditional telescope design in principle, but has presented challenges in practice. The sky access characteristics of the HET also place unique demands on observational planning and discipline. The HET is distinguished by uniquely low construction and operating costs which affected commissioning. In this contribution, we describe those aspects of our commissioning experience that may impact how similar telescopes an: designed, especially those with larger aperture, and review the challenges and lessons learned from commissioning a 9-meter class telescope with a small technical team.
引用
收藏
页码:14 / 25
页数:12
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