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Project Leader
Glen Herriot
Phone: 250-363-0073
Fax: 250-363-0045
Email: Glen.Herriot@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Gemini [Altair] ALTitude-conjugate Adaptive optics for the InfraRed - deployed
Altair is the adaptive optics system for the northern Gemini 8-m telescope. Altair corrects atmospheric turbulence to take the twinkle out of star light, producing sharper images, allowing astronomers to see tinier, fainter and more crowded objects than ever before. Altair began full science operations in the first semester of 2004.
A unique feature of Altair's design is that the atmospheric layer 6.5 km above the telescope is imaged onto its deformable mirror (DM), rather than the ground layer imaged on the DM as in a conventional system. Based on measurements of atmospheric turbulence, taken in the 1990s, this feature had been expected to double the corrected field of view. However in practice, the gain has been minor. NRC-HIA is now studying means to refit the optics to allow conventional operation.
Project leader: Glen Herriot
Project scientist: Jean-Pierre Véran
Image Gallery
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A collection of images of Altair |
Related links
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Technical information on the adaptive optics program at Gemini |
Related Information
Altair - Optical Bench for Initial Alignment and Testing
Altair - Convex Camera Structure
Altair - View of the Instrument Skeleton Mounted on the Handling Cart
Altair - Cardboard Mockup for Wiring
Altair - CAD view of the instrument
Altair - Fabrication of the Optical Bench
