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> The UK Schmidt Telescope

The UK Schmidt Telescope

author: David Malin Images/Novapix

reference: o-sid03-00001

Image Size 300 DPI: 28 * 22 cm

The UK Schmidt is a specialised telescope that was designed primarily for photography. It combines a wide field of view over six degrees across with superb optics and a very wide aperture of 1.2m. Imagine having a camera lens with a focal length of over 3 meters, working at F/2.5. It was intended to make a very deep photographic survey of the largely unexplored southern sky in a number of colours. The dark skies of Siding Spring and photographic expertise developed at the telescope ensured that this survey was a revelation to astronomers from around the world. This task is now completed and the survey images are publicly available in digital form, a development not forseen when the telescope was constructed in 1974. The telescope no longer takes photographs, but much of its effort is now devoted to spectroscopy, using optical fibres to collect the light from numerous individual galaxies and stars. The wide field, large aperture and clear, dark skies over the Warrumbungles remain a priceless advantage, and the telescope continues to make a significant contribution to international astronomy.

Keywords for this photo:

AAO - ASTRONOMY - AUSTRALIA - OBSERVATORY - SCHMIDT TELESCOPE - SIDING SPRING - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - TELESCOPE - UK SCHMIDT -