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> The telescopes of the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO)

The telescopes of the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO)

author: David Malin Images/Novapix

reference: o-sid01-00001

Image Size 300 DPI: 28 * 22 cm

The two telescopes of the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) are on Siding Spring Mountain in outback New South Wales, Australia. The observatory overlooks the Warrumbungle National Park, one of Australia's finest. In the foreground is the dome of the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) itself, and around its base is the red packing case that carried its 4 meter mirror from its final polishing England. Alongside it the concrete dummy mirror used as a test weight to balance the telescope during construction. In the background of this arial photograph is the small dome of the UK Schmidt Telescope (UKST), constructed in 1974, but since 1988 a vital part of the AAO. Despite its diminutive size the UKST has exquisite optics and a field of view much greater that the AAT. It has been used to make surveys of the largely unexplored southern sky, discovering new objects that are studied in more detail with the AAT.  

Keywords for this photo:

AAO - AAT - AERIAL VIEW - ASTRONOMY - AUSTRALIA - DOME - OBSERVATORY - SIDING SPRING - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - UK SCHMIDT -