Large Binocular Telescope
(LBT)
(dual 8.4 meter telescope in Arizona)
The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) is a
pair of 8.4 meter visible-light reflector telescopes
on Mount Graham (3221 m) in Arizona.
The twin reflectors give it both light-capturing
capability and ability to capture fine detail
through optical interferometry (that facility termed
the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer or LBTI)
or to carry out simultaneous observations of an object
using two instruments simultaneously.
One reflector has been in production since 2005 and the second
since 2008.
The reflectors are mounted together (with the same field of view, FOV)
such that their centers are 14.4 meters' apart.
Adaptive optics systems are included.
Instruments:
- LBC - pair of wide FOV cameras (LBCR and LBCB), R and B indicating red and blue, the R camera covering mid-visible to near infrared and the B covering mid-visible to near ultraviolet.
- MODS - pair of multi object double optical spectrographs (MODS1 and MODS2).
- LUCI - pair of multi object infrared spectrographs (LUCI1 and LUCI2) (earlier known as LUCIFER).
- PEPSI - high resolution optical spectrograph.
- LBTI/LMIRCAM - mid infrared imager and spectrograph with coronagraph (using the interferometer).
- LBTI/NOMIC - N band nulling imager (using the interferometer).
- FLAO - "first light adaptive optics" system.
- ARGOS - guide device (produces laser guide stars)
Formerly listed:
- LINC/Nirvana - wide-field near-infrared camera.
Future:
- SHARK - pair of coronagraph/imagers, SHARK-VIS (optical) and SHARK-NIR (near infrared). These began commissioning in 2023 and possibly one or both are now usable.
- iLocator - infrared RV-method spectrometer.
(telescope,reflector,visible light,infrared,ultraviolet,ground,Arizona,optical interferometer)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Binocular_Telescope
http://www.lbto.org/
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016SPIE.9906E..22R/abstract
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011SPIE.8149E..02E/abstract
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019A%26A...621A...4R/abstract
https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.00364
Referenced by pages:
Gregorian telescope
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA)
monolithic mirror
optical interferometer
Index