First light of the 1.6 meter off-axis new solar telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory

Wenda Cao; Nicolas Gorceixb; Roy Coulterb; Aaron Coulterb; Philip R. Goodeab

doi:10.1117/12.856611

First light of the 1.6 meter off-axis new solar telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory

Wenda Cao, Nicolas Gorceixb, Roy Coulterb, Aaron Coulterb, Philip R. Goodeab

Center For Solar Terrestrial Research - Big Bear Solar Observatory

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

New Jersey Institute of Technology, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii and the Korea Astronomy & Space Science Institute, has successfully developed and installed a 1.6 m clear aperture, off-axis New Solar Telescope (NST) at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. The NST will be the largest aperture solar telescope in the world until the 4 m Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) and 4 m European Solar Telescope (EST) begin operation in the next decade. Meanwhile, the NST will be the largest off-axis telescope before the 8.4 m segmented Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) comes on-line. The NST is configured as an off-axis Gregorian system consisting of a parabolic primary, prime focus field stop and heat reflector, elliptical secondary and diagonal flats. The primary mirror is made of Zerodur from Schott and figured to a final residual error of 16 nm rms by Steward Observatory Mirror Lab. The final focal ratio is f/52. The 180″ circular opening in the field stop defines the maximal square field-of-view. The working wavelength range will cover 0.4 to 1.7 μm in the Coud́e Lab two floors beneath the telescope, and all wavelengths including far infrared at the Nasmyth focus on an optical bench attached to the side of the telescope structure. First-light scientific observations have been attained at the Nasmyth focus and in the Coud́e Lab. This paper presents a detailed description of installation and alignment of the NST. First-light observational results are also shown to demonstrate the validity of the NST optical alignment.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes III
Edition	PART 1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.856611
State	Published - 2010
Event	Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes III - San Diego, CA, United States Duration: Jun 27 2010 → Jul 2 2010

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Number	PART 1
Volume	7733
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X

Other

Other	Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes III
Country/Territory	United States
City	San Diego, CA
Period	6/27/10 → 7/2/10

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Computer Science Applications
Applied Mathematics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Keywords

Alignment
Solar observation
Telescope
Wave front sensor

Access to Document

10.1117/12.856611

Cite this

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title = "First light of the 1.6 meter off-axis new solar telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory",

abstract = "New Jersey Institute of Technology, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii and the Korea Astronomy & Space Science Institute, has successfully developed and installed a 1.6 m clear aperture, off-axis New Solar Telescope (NST) at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. The NST will be the largest aperture solar telescope in the world until the 4 m Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) and 4 m European Solar Telescope (EST) begin operation in the next decade. Meanwhile, the NST will be the largest off-axis telescope before the 8.4 m segmented Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) comes on-line. The NST is configured as an off-axis Gregorian system consisting of a parabolic primary, prime focus field stop and heat reflector, elliptical secondary and diagonal flats. The primary mirror is made of Zerodur from Schott and figured to a final residual error of 16 nm rms by Steward Observatory Mirror Lab. The final focal ratio is f/52. The 180″ circular opening in the field stop defines the maximal square field-of-view. The working wavelength range will cover 0.4 to 1.7 μm in the Cou{\'d}e Lab two floors beneath the telescope, and all wavelengths including far infrared at the Nasmyth focus on an optical bench attached to the side of the telescope structure. First-light scientific observations have been attained at the Nasmyth focus and in the Cou{\'d}e Lab. This paper presents a detailed description of installation and alignment of the NST. First-light observational results are also shown to demonstrate the validity of the NST optical alignment.",

keywords = "Alignment, Solar observation, Telescope, Wave front sensor",

author = "Wenda Cao and Nicolas Gorceixb and Roy Coulterb and Aaron Coulterb and Goodeab, {Philip R.}",

year = "2010",

doi = "10.1117/12.856611",

language = "English (US)",

isbn = "9780819482235",

series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",

number = "PART 1",

booktitle = "Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes III",

edition = "PART 1",

note = "Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes III ; Conference date: 27-06-2010 Through 02-07-2010",

}

Cao, W, Gorceixb, N, Coulterb, R, Coulterb, A & Goodeab, PR 2010, First light of the 1.6 meter off-axis new solar telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory. in Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes III. PART 1 edn, 773330, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, no. PART 1, vol. 7733, Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes III, San Diego, CA, United States, 6/27/10. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.856611

First light of the 1.6 meter off-axis new solar telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory. / Cao, Wenda; Gorceixb, Nicolas; Coulterb, Roy et al.
Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes III. PART 1. ed. 2010. 773330 (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 7733, No. PART 1).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

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T1 - First light of the 1.6 meter off-axis new solar telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory

AU - Cao, Wenda

AU - Gorceixb, Nicolas

AU - Coulterb, Roy

AU - Coulterb, Aaron

AU - Goodeab, Philip R.

PY - 2010

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N2 - New Jersey Institute of Technology, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii and the Korea Astronomy & Space Science Institute, has successfully developed and installed a 1.6 m clear aperture, off-axis New Solar Telescope (NST) at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. The NST will be the largest aperture solar telescope in the world until the 4 m Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) and 4 m European Solar Telescope (EST) begin operation in the next decade. Meanwhile, the NST will be the largest off-axis telescope before the 8.4 m segmented Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) comes on-line. The NST is configured as an off-axis Gregorian system consisting of a parabolic primary, prime focus field stop and heat reflector, elliptical secondary and diagonal flats. The primary mirror is made of Zerodur from Schott and figured to a final residual error of 16 nm rms by Steward Observatory Mirror Lab. The final focal ratio is f/52. The 180″ circular opening in the field stop defines the maximal square field-of-view. The working wavelength range will cover 0.4 to 1.7 μm in the Coud́e Lab two floors beneath the telescope, and all wavelengths including far infrared at the Nasmyth focus on an optical bench attached to the side of the telescope structure. First-light scientific observations have been attained at the Nasmyth focus and in the Coud́e Lab. This paper presents a detailed description of installation and alignment of the NST. First-light observational results are also shown to demonstrate the validity of the NST optical alignment.

AB - New Jersey Institute of Technology, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii and the Korea Astronomy & Space Science Institute, has successfully developed and installed a 1.6 m clear aperture, off-axis New Solar Telescope (NST) at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. The NST will be the largest aperture solar telescope in the world until the 4 m Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) and 4 m European Solar Telescope (EST) begin operation in the next decade. Meanwhile, the NST will be the largest off-axis telescope before the 8.4 m segmented Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) comes on-line. The NST is configured as an off-axis Gregorian system consisting of a parabolic primary, prime focus field stop and heat reflector, elliptical secondary and diagonal flats. The primary mirror is made of Zerodur from Schott and figured to a final residual error of 16 nm rms by Steward Observatory Mirror Lab. The final focal ratio is f/52. The 180″ circular opening in the field stop defines the maximal square field-of-view. The working wavelength range will cover 0.4 to 1.7 μm in the Coud́e Lab two floors beneath the telescope, and all wavelengths including far infrared at the Nasmyth focus on an optical bench attached to the side of the telescope structure. First-light scientific observations have been attained at the Nasmyth focus and in the Coud́e Lab. This paper presents a detailed description of installation and alignment of the NST. First-light observational results are also shown to demonstrate the validity of the NST optical alignment.

KW - Alignment

KW - Solar observation

KW - Telescope

KW - Wave front sensor

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M3 - Conference contribution

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BT - Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes III

T2 - Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes III

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ER -

First light of the 1.6 meter off-axis new solar telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory

Abstract

Publication series

Other

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

Access to Document

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