Wide-field conversions for reflecting telescopes
Abstract
Wider fields would allow large telescopes to observe many hundreds of objects simultaneously. Auxiliary optics have been designed which would give the Anglo-Australian Telescope a field 3-deg in diameter, suitable for multiple-object spectroscopy with optical fibers. A new secondary mirror and an achromatic aspheric corrector are required. These could be built relatively quickly and cheaply. An alternative design using two new mirrors (Paul-Baker system) would give smaller images, but only over a field of 2-deg, and there would be severe practical difficulties. For the William Herschel Telescope the first design must be modified to include two corrector plates, but both would need to be deeply aspheric, and the field is limited to 2 deg.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- November 1987
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/229.2.143
- Bibcode:
- 1987MNRAS.229..143W
- Keywords:
-
- Faint Objects;
- Reflecting Telescopes;
- Schmidt Cameras;
- Asphericity;
- Computer Aided Design;
- Mirrors;
- Optical Fibers;
- Ray Tracing;
- Astronomy