Discovery Channel Telescope » DCT Science

DCT Status, 9 Feb 2012

Primary Mirror and AOS

We are testing the performance of the primary mirror and the active optics system using a camera assembly mounted at the prime focus. This also allows testing of the mount pointing model and telescope control system. Except for some minor problems, everything so far has gone well. Star acquisition has been reliable and tracking steady.

The active optics system appears to hold the mirror quite steady. As an example, when the system is completely powered down, the mirror slumps about 3 mm in the cell. When the AOS is powered back up, we've found that the supports reconfigure the mirror so that a given star is within one arc second of its prior position – a key test of reliability.

Secondary Mirror

The secondary mirror was aluminized and installed in January. It was the last major component remaining to be delivered. Now, the DCT team will soon be able test the full optical system.

First Light

At this time, we remain on schedule for first light in May 2012. The Discovery Channel plans to air its first major feature on the DCT in June 2012.

Light-weighting of the Discovery Channel Telescope's secondary mirror

The secondary mirror for the DCT light-weighting is complete. The circular and hexagonal shapes correspond with sections of the glass removed to reduce the mirror's mass.

The Discovery Channel Telescope: A unique fusion of research and outreach

Forty miles southeast of Flagstaff at the Happy Jack site, the DCT is nearing completion. This 4.3-meter telescope rises seven stories above the top of a cinder cone. Lowell Observatory and Discovery Communications are building this $53 million facility to push the frontier of knowledge and bring the marvels of the cosmos to millions.

The DCT will be Lowell’s flagship research telescope. Through our programming and online content, we’ll bring you an ongoing, inside look at the DCT and its fascinating science.

What’s so special about the DCT?

Lowell astronomers will use the DCT to answer fundamental questions about our universe. In fact, some big questions – for example, how our solar system formed and how dwarf galaxies evolve – are only the beginning. The Ritchey-Chretien (RC) instrument configuration, which will be deployed at “first light,” will allow Lowell astronomers to make spectroscopic and imaging observations simultaneously, answering questions about a wide range of research topics.