Discovery Channel Telescope
Encyclopedia
The Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) is a 4.3-meter aperture telescope being built by Lowell Observatory
in Flagstaff, Arizona
and will be the fifth largest telescope
in the continental United States
once completed in 2012. The DCT is currently under construction at a dark sky site on the Coconino National Forest
near Happy Jack, Arizona
. Happy Jack is located at an elevation of 7760 feet (2,365.2 m) and is approximately 45 miles SSE of Flagstaff. The project is a partnership between Discovery Communications
and Lowell Observatory. In its initial implementation, the telescope will cost approximately $53 million. The telescope will significantly augment Lowell Observatory’s observational capability and enable pioneering studies in a number of important research areas.
in November 2004 and improvement of an existing road to the site commenced immediately. The primary mirror
blank was completed by Corning in late 2005. Construction of the 85 feet (25.9 m), 62 feet (18.9 m) telescope enclosure and an auxiliary support building began in mid-September 2005. Final figuring and polishing of the mirror, which weighs about 6700 pounds (3,039.1 kg), was completed by the University of Arizona
’s College of Optical Sciences. This process took about three years. The mirror was delivered to the site in June 2010, subsequently aluminized, and mounted on the telescope in August 2011. The telescope is scheduled to see first light in 2012, and become fully operational later that year.
Initially these will include a survey of the composition of Kuiper Belt objects orbiting the sun beyond Neptune, studies of the physical properties of comets, investigations of the evolution and structure of small galaxies, plus studies of the masses of stars, to name a few.
Project Leaders include Jeffrey Hall, Director, Lowell Observatory; Bill DeGroff, Project Manager; and Edward Dunham, Instrument Scientist.
Lowell Observatory
Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965....
in Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
and will be the fifth largest telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
in the continental United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
once completed in 2012. The DCT is currently under construction at a dark sky site on the Coconino National Forest
Coconino National Forest
The Coconino National Forest is a 1.856-million acre United States National Forest located in northern Arizona in the vicinity of Flagstaff. Originally established in 1898 as the "San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve", the area was designated a U.S...
near Happy Jack, Arizona
Happy Jack, Arizona
Happy Jack is an unincorporated town and camping ground located in the Mogollon Rim Region of Coconino County, Arizona, United States. It is at an elevation of approximately . The Discovery Channel Telescope is located there.-External links:*...
. Happy Jack is located at an elevation of 7760 feet (2,365.2 m) and is approximately 45 miles SSE of Flagstaff. The project is a partnership between Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications, Inc. is an American global media and entertainment company. The company started as a single channel in 1985, The Discovery Channel. Today, DCI has global operations offering 28 network entertainment brands on more than 100 channels in more than 180 countries in 39...
and Lowell Observatory. In its initial implementation, the telescope will cost approximately $53 million. The telescope will significantly augment Lowell Observatory’s observational capability and enable pioneering studies in a number of important research areas.
Telescope
The DCT is designed to support a variety of optical configurations. The phase one configuration will be ideal for high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy both at visible and the near-infrared wavelengths. The telescope is designed to allow a very large, 2-degree field of view in its prime focus implementation - a possible future upgrade. Accordingly, the DCT will feature exceptional ability to perform deep imaging surveys of the night sky, while retaining the ability to be switched to the alternate Ritchey-Chrétien mode, allowing it, unlike pure survey telescopes, to be highly effective during the bright phases of the moon.Construction
Lowell Observatory and Discovery Communications formed a partnership to build the Discovery Channel Telescope in February 2003. A special use permit for construction and operation of the telescope at the Happy Jack site was received from the United States Forest ServiceUnited States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
in November 2004 and improvement of an existing road to the site commenced immediately. The primary mirror
Primary mirror
A primary mirror is the principal light-gathering surface of a reflecting telescope.-Description:The primary mirror of a reflecting telescope is a spherical or parabolic shaped disks of polished reflective metal , or in later telescopes, glass or other material coated with a reflective layer...
blank was completed by Corning in late 2005. Construction of the 85 feet (25.9 m), 62 feet (18.9 m) telescope enclosure and an auxiliary support building began in mid-September 2005. Final figuring and polishing of the mirror, which weighs about 6700 pounds (3,039.1 kg), was completed by the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
’s College of Optical Sciences. This process took about three years. The mirror was delivered to the site in June 2010, subsequently aluminized, and mounted on the telescope in August 2011. The telescope is scheduled to see first light in 2012, and become fully operational later that year.
Research
The telescope will initially be applied to a wide and evolving range of research topics.Initially these will include a survey of the composition of Kuiper Belt objects orbiting the sun beyond Neptune, studies of the physical properties of comets, investigations of the evolution and structure of small galaxies, plus studies of the masses of stars, to name a few.
Project Leaders include Jeffrey Hall, Director, Lowell Observatory; Bill DeGroff, Project Manager; and Edward Dunham, Instrument Scientist.