Liquid mirror telescopes: a progress report

Ermanno F. Borra; Marc Ferrari; Luc Girard; Gilberto Moretto; Gregoire Tremblay; Gerard R. Lemaitre

doi:10.1117/12.269054

21 March 1997 Liquid mirror telescopes: a progress report

Ermanno F. Borra, Marc Ferrari, Luc Girard, Gilberto Moretto, Gregoire Tremblay, Gerard R. Lemaitre

Proceedings Volume 2871, Optical Telescopes of Today and Tomorrow; (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.269054
Event: Optical Telescopes of Today and Tomorrow, 1996, Landskrona/Hven, Sweden

Abstract

We review the present status of liquid mirror telescopes. Interferometric tests of liquid mirrors (the largest one having a diameter of 2.5 meters) show excellent optical qualities. The basic technology is now sufficiently reliable that it can be put to work. Indeed, a handful of liquid mirrors have now been built that are used for scientific work. A 3.7-m diameter LMT is presently being built in the new Laval upgraded testing facilities. Construction of the mirror can be followed on the Web site: http://astrosun.phy.ulaval.ca/lmt/lmt-home.html. Finally we address the issue of the field accessible to LMTs equipped with novel optical correctors. Optical design work, and some exploratory laboratory work, indicate that a single LMT should be able to access, with excellent images, small regions anywhere inside fields as large as 45 degrees.

Citation Download Citation

Ermanno F. Borra, Marc Ferrari, Luc Girard, Gilberto Moretto, Gregoire Tremblay, and Gerard R. Lemaitre "Liquid mirror telescopes: a progress report", Proc. SPIE 2871, Optical Telescopes of Today and Tomorrow, (21 March 1997); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.269054

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