South African Large Telescope, Salt, has placed order for key optical components with Optical Surfaces
The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) has chosen Optical Surfaces to supply the two high precision prisms that make up the Atmospheric Dispersion Compensator (ADC) for the South African Large Telescope (Salt).
As part of an international consortium of leading astrophysics suppliers Optical Surfaces will work with the SAAO to help build the single largest telescope in the southern hemisphere, with a hexagonal mirror array 11 metres across.
The purpose of Salt, due for completion in December 2004, will be to record light from distant stars, galaxies and quasars a billion times too faint to be seen with the unaided eye.
Optical Surfaces components will form the core elements of the ADC whose purpose is to correct dispersion by the atmosphere of light from celestial targets entering the Salt telescope.
The ADC will ride on the Salt Tracker, in the position between the Spherical Aberration Corrector (SAC) and the exit pupil of the telescope.
The Salt Atmospheric Dispersion Compensator will require Optical Surfaces to produce two similar fused silica prisms of 290mm diameter and a wedge angle of 7deg.
