1. Programs & Projects
  2. Mid-Scale Observatories — Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
  3. Telescopes at MSO-CTIO
  4. Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR)
  5. Instruments
  6. Instruments

Instruments

This page is intended to provide scientists with an up to date quick glance on the instrumentation currently available on the SOAR telescope and modes of operation.
 

Instrument Type Wavelength
Range		 Field_of_View  (arcmin)       Scale
(arcsec/pixel)		 Resolution (R) Filters Data Reduction

SOAR Imager (SOI)

RETIRED - NO LONGER AVAILABLE

 U-sensitive optical imager 310-1000nm 5.2 x 5.2 0.077 N/A UBVRI, ugriz, ubvy, Ha, [SII],  others (see Filters) IRAF Mosaic Reduction, and also PyRAF script - basic image processing
SOAR Adaptive Optics Module (SAM) Laser-guided optical Adaptive Optics imager 400-1000nm 3.1 x 3.1 0.045 N/A BVRI, griz, ubvy, Ha, [SII],  others (see Filters) PyRAF script - basic image processing
Goodman High Throughput Spectrograph High throughput UV to 0.9um imaging spectrograph 310-905nm 7.2 circular 0.15 ~1400-10000 Imaging: UBVRI, ugriz, ubvy, Ha, [SII],  others (see Filters)
Spectra: GG-385, GG-455, GG-495, OG-570		 Goodman Spectroscopic Pipeline (Python)
IRAF. Tutorial for reducing single slit and MOS
SOAR Integral-Field Unit Spectrograph (SIFS)
 		 Integral-Field Unit Spectrograph 400-780nm 15 x 7.8 arcsec 0.3 arcsec/fiber 4200 -- Custom PyRAF/MSCRED pipeline
SPARTAN Near-IR Camera Near-IR imager 1-2.4 um f/12: 5.04 x 5.04
f/21: 3.05 x 3.05		 f/12: 0.066
f/21: 0.040		 N/A YZJHK  
TripleSpec 4.1 Near-IR Spectrograph Near-IR spectrograph <1-2.4 um ~30 arcsec slit;
~3 arcmin slit viewer		 0.27 arcsec/pixel ~3500 J for slit viewer Custom IDL-based pipeline
Visitor Instrument (Special access):
HRCam. Instr. Scientist: A. Tokovinin		 Optical High-speed Imager 400-1000nm 16 x 16 arcsec 0.01575 N/A BVRI Custom IDL-based pipeline by A. Tokovinin
Visitor Instrument - (Special Access):
Fabry-Perot unit on SAM. Instr. Scientist: Claudia Mendez-Oliveira
NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE		 Fabry-Perot Etalon 400-1000nm 3.1 x 3.1 0.045 4100, 11200 Filters for SAM-FP Custom pipeline
Ohio State IR Imager/Spectrograph (OSIRIS)
RETIRED - NO LONGER AVAILABLE
 		 Near-IR imaging spectrograph 0.9-2.2 um f/7: 2.37 x 2.37
f/3: 5.65 x 5.65
 		 f/7: 0.139
f/3: 0.331		 1200-3000 Y (1.04um), JHK,Ks, He I (1.083um & 2.06um), Fe II (1.644um), 2.03um, BrGamma (2.17um), H2 (2.122um)  

OBSERVING MODES:
SOAR offers both classical (on-site) observing, and remote observing (for experienced users). This provides with ample scheduling flexibility, making feasible complicated programs, especially those involving sporadic time sampling, that are otherwise normally not feasible in other facilities.

Once you have decided which instrument is best suited for your science program, the following links will help you in preparing your proposal, and later for your SOAR observing run:

  1. Preparing your proposal for requesting time with the SOAR telescope
  2. Preparing for your SOAR observing run: this section will tell you what you need to do for your upcoming run, depending on whether you will be coming to carry out your observations directly at the telescope, or observing remotely via Internet.
  3. Reducing your data.

Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you note errors, or you consider that important information is missing.

Updated on June 4, 2024, 8:33 am