Mercator Telescope
Encyclopedia
The Mercator Telescope is a 1.2m
telescope
, operated by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
(Leuven University), Belgium, in collaboration with the Observatory of the University of Geneva
. It is named after Gerard Mercator, famous cartographer.
The telescope contains two different measuring devices. First of all, there is the MeropeII CCD camera. This camera has a size of 2k by 6k pixel
s Frame Transfer detector originally designed for ESA's canceled Eddington space mission. The filters used together with this camera are according to the so called geneva photometric system. The second instrument on the Mercator Telescope is the HERMES echelle spectrograph
. It covers a wavelength range between 380 and 875 nm with a spectral resolution of R∼85000 .
The P7 photometer
was active from May 2001 until July 2008. The photometer measured in the 7 band Geneva photometric system. It measured the star in one channel and the sky in another so that the sky can be subtracted. The filter wheel is turning at a rate of 4 Hz
, changing between the filters of the photometric system.
It is sited at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos
on La Palma
.
The Swiss Euler 1.2m Telescope and the Mercator Telescope were part of the Southern Sky extrasolar Planet search Programme which has discovered numerous extrasolar planets. For other large telescopes of the period see List of largest optical telescopes in the 20th century.
Metre
The metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology...
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...
, operated by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is a Dutch-speaking university in Flanders, Belgium.It is located at the centre of the historic town of Leuven, and is a prominent part of the city, home to the university since 1425...
(Leuven University), Belgium, in collaboration with the Observatory of the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
. It is named after Gerard Mercator, famous cartographer.
The telescope contains two different measuring devices. First of all, there is the MeropeII CCD camera. This camera has a size of 2k by 6k pixel
Pixel
In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
s Frame Transfer detector originally designed for ESA's canceled Eddington space mission. The filters used together with this camera are according to the so called geneva photometric system. The second instrument on the Mercator Telescope is the HERMES echelle 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...
. It covers a wavelength range between 380 and 875 nm with a spectral resolution of R∼85000 .
The P7 photometer
Photometer
In its widest sense, a photometer is an instrument for measuring light intensity or optical properties of solutions or surfaces. Photometers are used to measure:*Illuminance*Irradiance*Light absorption*Scattering of light*Reflection of light*Fluorescence...
was active from May 2001 until July 2008. The photometer measured in the 7 band Geneva photometric system. It measured the star in one channel and the sky in another so that the sky can be subtracted. The filter wheel is turning at a rate of 4 Hz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
, changing between the filters of the photometric system.
It is sited at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos
Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
Roque de los Muchachos Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in the municipality of Garafía on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands...
on La Palma
La Palma
La Palma is the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands. La Palma has an area of 706 km2 making it the fifth largest of the seven main Canary Islands...
.
The Swiss Euler 1.2m Telescope and the Mercator Telescope were part of the Southern Sky extrasolar Planet search Programme which has discovered numerous extrasolar planets. For other large telescopes of the period see List of largest optical telescopes in the 20th century.