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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-sid01-00002

Image Size 300 DPI: 22 * 28 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 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. Against the rugged skyline of the Warrumbungle Mountains is the dome of the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT), the last of a series of 4m telescopes constructed in the mid-1970s. Both these instruments are constantly updated to exploit their natural advantage of some of the world's darkest skies.

Keywords for this photo:

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