The Magdalena Ridge Observatory 2.4 m Telescope

Gordon J. Pentland; Kerry Gonzales; Kevin Harris; Eileen V. Ryan; Elwood C. Downey

doi:10.1117/12.669795

21 June 2006 The Magdalena Ridge Observatory 2.4 m Telescope

Gordon J. Pentland, Kerry Gonzales, Kevin Harris, Eileen V. Ryan, Elwood C. Downey

Proceedings Volume 6267, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes; 62670C (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.669795
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2006, Orlando, Florida , United States

Abstract

EOS Technologies has been commissioned to design and build a unique 2.4m astronomical telescope for the Magdalena Ridge Observatory. This telescope utilizes a high quality primary mirror and cell from a now decommissioned military application. This paper describes the project and gives an overview of the telescope design. The Magdalena Ridge Observatory (MRO) 2.4 meter telescope will be primarily utilized to observe, track, and characterize solar system astronomical targets, Earth satellites, space vehicles, and terrestrial military targets. The telescope's rapid tracking (slew rates are 10^o/sec) will allow it to move to any target and acquire data within one minute of receipt of notice. In this way, the telescope will be used to capitalize on targets of opportunity that occur in asteroid studies (e.g., Near Earth Objects) and in astrophysics, such as gamma ray bursts and other transient phenomena. Planned instrumentation includes a CCD imager, and a low-resolution, wide-band Visible/IR spectrograph (Ryan et al. 2002). Both of these instruments will facilitate characterization studies of asteroids and space objects.

Citation Download Citation

Gordon J. Pentland, Kerry Gonzales, Kevin Harris, Eileen V. Ryan, and Elwood C. Downey "The Magdalena Ridge Observatory 2.4 m Telescope", Proc. SPIE 6267, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes, 62670C (21 June 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.669795

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