Available Foci & Instruments

Prime Focus f/2.87.

Plate scale = 18.0 arcsec/mm or 0.26"/15micron pixel

The only instrument currently available (2012 onwards) at Prime Focus is the Dark Energy Camera, follow the link for details.

Ritchey-Chretien (RC) Focus f/8.

Plate scale = 6.56 arcsec/mm

The only instrument currently available at f/8 is COSMOS Cerro Tololo Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph).

This focus is surrounded by a roughly hemispherical Cassegrain Cage. It is equipped with an instrument rotator and offset guider as standard equipment. (WARNING: The rotator may not be functional with all instruments due to interference between the instrument and the surroundings in the Cassegrain Cage.) User supplied instruments may be attached on either the rotator directly or the guider. The nominal focal plane is at a position 6" (15.24 cm) below the Guider mounting surface. The Cass. Cage is entered by means of a walkway that is normally used when the telescope is at the zenith position. Power (110v, 60Hz) is available from an uninterruptible source.