The 6.5-m MMT Telescope: Status and plans for the future

G. Grant Williams, R. Ortiz, W. Goble, J. D. Gibson

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

The MMT Observatory, a joint venture of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona, operates the 6.5-m MMT telescope on the summit of Mount Hopkins approximately 45 miles south of Tucson, AZ. The upgraded telescope has been in routine operation for nearly difteen years and, as such, is a very reliable and productive general purpose astronomical instrument. The telescope can be configured with one of three secondary mirrors that feed more than ten instruments at the Cassegrain focus. In this paper we provide an overview of the telescope, its current capabilities, and its performance. We will review the existing suite of instruments and their different modes of operation. We will describe some of the general operations challenges and strategies for the Observatory. Finally, we will discuss plans for the near-Term future including technical upgrades, new instrumentation and routine queue operation of MMIRS and Binospec.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationGround-Based and Airborne Telescopes VI
EditorsHeather K. Marshall, Helen J. Hall, Roberto Gilmozzi
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510601918
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016
EventGround-Based and Airborne Telescopes VI - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Duration: Jun 26 2016Jul 1 2016

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume9906
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Other

OtherGround-Based and Airborne Telescopes VI
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityEdinburgh
Period6/26/167/1/16

Keywords

  • MMTO
  • Observatory operations

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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