Fan Mountain Observatory 40-inch Astrometric Reflector Instrumentation
The 40-inch telescope is an astrometric reflector originally designed to continue UVa's long tradition of precision astrometry farther away from the growing Charlottesville area where light pollution was less of a factor. The telescope has an f/13.5 Cassegrain focus with a 15.0 arcsec/mm focal plane that is very flat over an area 8 inches in diameter. This large focal plane was useful during the telescope's earlier days when photographic plate imaging was done. The instruments used at the 40-inch today, however, make use of only the central portion of the focal plane.
| Instrument | Description | Specs | Local Ref. |
Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCD Gen I | Direct SITe Generation I CCD Camera |  |
 |
A | Operational |
| CCD Gen II | Direct SITe Generation II CCD Camera | |
|
B | Operational |
| FOBOS | Single Object Fiber Spectrograph | |
|
C | Operational |
| EYE | 2-inch Eyepiece | |
 |
D | Operational |
NOTES
A.
The GenI camera is used for optical imaging. It houses a
science grade, single amplifier SITe 2048x2048 CCD mounted in
an IR Labs dewar controlled by SDSU CCD Laboratory Generation
I electronics.
B.
The GenII camera is used with the FOBOS spectrograph. It
houses an engineering grade, quad amplifier SITe 2048x2048
CCD mounted in an IR Labs dewar controlled by SDSU CCD
Laboratory Generation II electronics. Note, however, that
the CCD is generally operated using either one or two
amplifiers.
C.
FOBOS is a single-object, fiber-fed spectrograph intended for
moderate resolution stellar spectroscopy. Detailed
information about the instrument can be accessed through the
following link: FOBOS.
D.
There is currently one eyepiece available for the 40-inch,
used primarily for public outreach.
Filters
Two filter wheels in the telescope's tailpiece allow for five 4-inch filters and three 6-inch filters to be loaded simultaneously. Available filters include Johnson UBV, Cousins RI, Washington C, M, T1, and T2, DDO51, and H-alpha.The old control room WHITE BOARD (erased November 18, 2004), with historical focus data, etc.
