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32"
Cassegrain - science/research |
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Dream was commissioned to do the initial design/CAD
work for this 32" project. This included everything seen
in the renderings, plus many items not seen on these pages because
they are inside the dome and the container, like the mount and
optical bench with the Coude focus spectrograph. |
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The project calls for eight remote/robotic facilities,
like the one shown on this page, around the world. This would
allow unique scientific abilities, namely the perpetual study
of a given object due to four facilities spread across the northern
hemisphere and four in the southern hemisphere. |
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The telescope is a 812.8mm/32.0" clear aperture
Cassegrain that uses a f2.5 primary. |
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The Coude focus is f35, which ends at the optical
bench housed inside and below the observatory area. |
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The carbon fiber telescope uses all-cellular
mirrors. The 137.5mm/5.41" clear aperture secondary mirror
will weigh approximately 264 grams. |
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The primary mirror will weigh approximately 85 lbs.,
while the two fold mirrors (M4 and M5) of 114mm/4.5" minor
axis will weigh 238 grams each. |
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Click on the image below to see a 122mm/4.8"
cellular blank that weighs 120 grams polished. |
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Because this facility will be utilized both day and
night, it is extremely important for the optics to be able to
reach equilbrium
very quickly and then to continue following ambient temperatures
to maximize resolution. |
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In addition to this requirement, the telescope will
also be used for Lucky Imaging, which puts enormous demands on
the optics. |
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The carbon fiber sandwich
core hybrid dome, dome shutters and fixed, short observatory
louvered walls will resist corrosion, will thermally insulate
during day time hours (if desired: not applicable if daytime
solar work is planned), have a very low mass and very low CTE
and will be much easier to install at the planned mountaintop
installations than other traditionally used materials. These
advanced materials will also experience almost no fatigue from
thermal cycling and will hold their tolerances due to this and
strength/stiffness to weight ratios. All of these advanced composite
structures will require less power to operate as well, which
is one of many driving factors of this project. |
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You can see a sample arch segment below. |
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The dome includes a main hoist, weather station, solar
panels, battery, actuated slit doors and a blue-sky window for
indirect solar work. |
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Click on the image to the right to see additional
information. |
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