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Tuesday, 27 November 2007 |
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The Fabra-ROA telescope at Montsec project aims to refurbish an f/1 50cm Baker-Nunn Camera (BNC) for robotic CCD surveying purposes. It is participated by the Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona - Observatori Fabra, the Real Instituto y Observatorio de la Armada (ROA) and the Departament d'Astronomia i Meteorologia, Universitat de Barcelona. The BNC was designed, manufactured and installed at ROA by Smithsonian Institution during late 60s as an optical tracking system for artificial satellites (see the full story). At early 80s the telescope passed to property of ROA. The refurbishment project is composed by four phases already under completion: - optical refiguring to maximize the useful FOV with a CCD camera and the throughput of the system,
- mechanical modification to convert the original alt-azimuthal mount into equatorial and enable its complete automatization.
- design and manufacture of a completely new, tip-tilt adjustable assembly and a 10µm-accurate focus system for the CCD camera.
- desing of a new software which enables the control of all the devices of the observatory in both remote and robotic modes.
 Illustration of 4.4ºx4.4º Baker-Nunn field of view Its most rellevant specification is the outstanding field of view (FOV). While before the optics refiguring with curved photographic film the system offered 5°x30° with a spot size inferior to 20µm throughout the field, 4.4°x4.4° are available with similar optical signature using a 4kx4k 9µm-sized pixel CCD. The figure on the left is our first technical image of M31 taken at the testing site at San Fernando Observatory. The image illustrates the huge FOV of the BNC in comparison to the Moon angular size. Once the BNC refurbishment is complete, this will be installed in a privileged area of the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees, at the summit of the Montsec d'Ares (Sant Esteve de la Sarga, Lleida). This site already hosts another observing facility which is pioneered by the Consorci del Montsec.  Global view from Serra del Montsec |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 14 November 2008 )
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