Rubin Auxiliary Telescope (AuxTel)
In tandem with the 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope on Cerro Pachón, a smaller telescope will also be assembled on nearby calibration hill, a short distance away from the main observatory Facility. This telescope is an existing telescope (previously known as the Calypso Telescope) that has been repurposed for its role with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and was generously donated to the project in 2008 by its proprietor, astrophysicist and entrepreneur Edgar Smith. It will provide important complementary data for the Rubin Observatory throughout survey operations.
Rubin Observatory is supported by funding from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Energy (DOE). Rubin Observatory is operated by NSF’s NOIRLab and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
For scientists: More details can be found on the science telescope page.
Rubin Auxiliary Telescope (AuxTel)
| Name(s) |
Rubin Auxiliary Telescope (AuxTel) |
| Status |
In commissioning |
| Broad Science Goals |
Measurement of atmospheric transmission: it will measure spectra of stars with sufficiently fine sampling in spatial coordinates and time to determine the wavelength dependence of optical transmission of light through the atmosphere.
Data collected by the Auxiliary Telescope, as it mirrors the nightly movements of the Simonyi Survey Telescope, will inform the catalog corrections that need to be made to Rubin Observatory data in order to render it more accurate.
|
| Site |
Cerro Pachón, Chile |
| Location Coordinates |
30º 14’ 41.27’S
70º 44’ 51.80’W |
| Altitude |
2647 meters (2123 feet) |
| Enclosure |
9.3-meter diameter dome from vendor Ash-Dome |
| Type |
Optical telescope with spectrograph |
| Optical Design |
Ritchey-Chretien |
| Field of View |
6.7 x 6.7 arcminutes |
| Diameter: Primary M1 |
1.2 meters |
| Material: Primary M1 |
Corning ULE |
| Diameter: Secondary M2 |
241 mm |
| Material: Secondary M2 |
Corning ULE |
| Mount |
Pier |
| First Light Date |
2020 |
| Adaptive Optics |
None |
| Images taken with the Rubin Observatory Auxiliary Telescope |
Link |
| Images of the Rubin Observatory Auxiliary Telescope |
Link |
| Videos of the Rubin Observatory Auxiliary Telescope |
Link |
| Press Releases about the Rubin Observatory Auxiliary Telescope |
Link |
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Please help us to complete this page by emailing information and corrections to info@noirlab.edu.