3.67 m Advanced Electro Optical System Telescope
Encyclopedia
The 3.67 m Advanced Electro Optical System Telescope is a Department of Defense
telescope at Haleakala Observatory
.
The 3.67-meter telescope, known as the Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS), owned by the Department of Defense
, is the United States
' largest optical telescope designed for tracking satellites. The 75-ton AEOS telescope points and tracks very accurately, yet is fast enough to track both low-Earth satellites and ballistic missile
s. AEOS can be used simultaneously by many groups or institutions because its light can be channeled through a series of mirrors to seven independent coudé rooms below the telescope. Employing sophisticated sensors that include an adaptive optics system, radiometer
, spectrograph
, and long-wave infrared imager, the telescope tracks man-made objects in deep space and performs space object identification data collection.
AEOS is equipped with an adaptive optics system, the heart of which is a 941-actuator deformable mirror that can change its shape to remove the atmosphere's distorting effects. Scientists are expected to get near diffraction-limited images of space objects.
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
telescope at Haleakala Observatory
Haleakala Observatory
The Haleakala High Altitude Observatory site, on the Island of Maui is the site of Hawaii's first astronomical research observatory. At elevation, Haleakala is above one third of the Earth's atmosphere...
.
The 3.67-meter telescope, known as the Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS), owned by the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, is the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' largest optical telescope designed for tracking satellites. The 75-ton AEOS telescope points and tracks very accurately, yet is fast enough to track both low-Earth satellites and ballistic missile
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
s. AEOS can be used simultaneously by many groups or institutions because its light can be channeled through a series of mirrors to seven independent coudé rooms below the telescope. Employing sophisticated sensors that include an adaptive optics system, radiometer
Radiometer
A radiometer is a device for measuring the radiant flux of electromagnetic radiation. Generally, the term radiometer denotes an infrared radiation detector, yet it also includes detectors operating on any electromagnetic wavelength....
, spectrograph
Spectrograph
A spectrograph is an instrument that separates an incoming wave into a frequency spectrum. There are several kinds of machines referred to as spectrographs, depending on the precise nature of the waves...
, and long-wave infrared imager, the telescope tracks man-made objects in deep space and performs space object identification data collection.
AEOS is equipped with an adaptive optics system, the heart of which is a 941-actuator deformable mirror that can change its shape to remove the atmosphere's distorting effects. Scientists are expected to get near diffraction-limited images of space objects.
See also
- Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatoryAir Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatoryThe Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatory is an Air Force Research Laboratory operating location on Maui with a twofold mission. First, it conducts the research and development mission on the Maui Space Surveillance System at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex...
- List of largest optical reflecting telescopes