UK Schmidt Telescope
Encyclopedia
The 1.2 metre UK Schmidt Telescope (UKST) is operated by the Australian Astronomical Observatory (formerly the Anglo-Australian Observatory
), and located adjacent to the 3.9 metre Anglo-Australian Telescope
at Siding Spring Observatory
, Australia
. It is a survey telescope
with a 6°
by 6°
field of view
, and has been the primary source of optical survey data in the southern sky since it was opened in 1973. The original sky survey plates have been digitally scanned by the Space Telescope Science Institute
to create the Guide Star Catalog for the Hubble Space Telescope
, and the Digitized Sky Survey
.
Although the UKST was originally used to make photographs of the sky, it is now used almost exclusively for multi-object spectroscopy
with the 6 degree Field (6dF) instrument. 6dF uses a robot to position up to 150 optical fibres
on a plate mounted at the focal plane of the UKST, which then carry light from the targets to a spectrograph
which sits on the floor of the dome. The 6dF Galaxy Survey
(6dFGS), a redshift survey
of 120,000 infrared
-selected galaxies has recently been completed, and the UKST is now engaged in the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) to measure the radial velocities
and metallicities
of up to 1 million stars in our Milky Way Galaxy.
Anglo-Australian Observatory
The Australian Astronomical Observatory , formerly the Anglo-Australian Observatory, is an optical/near-infrared astronomy observatory with its headquarters in suburban Sydney, Australia...
), and located adjacent to the 3.9 metre Anglo-Australian Telescope
Anglo-Australian Telescope
The Anglo-Australian Telescope is a 3.9 m equatorially mounted telescope operated by the Australian Astronomical Observatory and situated at the Siding Spring Observatory, Australia at an altitude of a little over 1100 m...
at Siding Spring Observatory
Siding Spring Observatory
Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia, part of the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the Australian National University , incorporates the Anglo-Australian Telescope along with a collection of other telescopes owned by the Australian National...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is a survey 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...
with a 6°
Degree (angle)
A degree , usually denoted by ° , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1⁄360 of a full rotation; one degree is equivalent to π/180 radians...
by 6°
Degree (angle)
A degree , usually denoted by ° , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1⁄360 of a full rotation; one degree is equivalent to π/180 radians...
field of view
Field of view
The field of view is the extent of the observable world that is seen at any given moment....
, and has been the primary source of optical survey data in the southern sky since it was opened in 1973. The original sky survey plates have been digitally scanned by the Space Telescope Science Institute
Space Telescope Science Institute
The Space Telescope Science Institute is the science operations center for the Hubble Space Telescope and for the James Webb Space Telescope...
to create the Guide Star Catalog for the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
, and the Digitized Sky Survey
Digitized Sky Survey
The Digitized Sky Survey is a digital version of several photographic atlases of the night sky, and an ongoing project to produce more digital versions of photographic astronomical datasets.- Versions and source material :...
.
Although the UKST was originally used to make photographs of the sky, it is now used almost exclusively for multi-object spectroscopy
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
with the 6 degree Field (6dF) instrument. 6dF uses a robot to position up to 150 optical fibres
Optical fiber
An optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of...
on a plate mounted at the focal plane of the UKST, which then carry light from the targets to a 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...
which sits on the floor of the dome. The 6dF Galaxy Survey
6dF Galaxy Survey
The 6dF Galaxy Survey , 6dF or 6dFGS is a redshift survey conducted by the Anglo-Australian Observatory with the 1.2m UK Schmidt Telescope between 2001 and 2009. The data from this survey were made public on 31 March 2009. The survey has mapped the nearby universe over nearly half the sky...
(6dFGS), a redshift survey
Redshift survey
In astronomy, a redshift survey, or galaxy survey, is a survey of a section of the sky to measure the redshift of astronomical objects. Using Hubble's law, the redshift can be used to calculate the distance of an object from Earth. By combining redshift with angular position data, a redshift...
of 120,000 infrared
Infrared astronomy
Infrared astronomy is the branch of astronomy and astrophysics that studies astronomical objects visible in infrared radiation. The wavelength of infrared light ranges from 0.75 to 300 micrometers...
-selected galaxies has recently been completed, and the UKST is now engaged in the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) to measure the radial velocities
Radial velocity
Radial velocity is the velocity of an object in the direction of the line of sight . In astronomy, radial velocity most commonly refers to the spectroscopic radial velocity...
and metallicities
Metallicity
In astronomy and physical cosmology, the metallicity of an object is the proportion of its matter made up of chemical elements other than hydrogen and helium...
of up to 1 million stars in our Milky Way Galaxy.
See also
- RAVE (survey)RAVE (survey)RAVE is a multi-fiber spectroscopic astronomical survey of stars in the Milky Way using the 1.2-metre UK Schmidt Telescope of the Anglo-Australian Observatory...
- Space Telescope Science InstituteSpace Telescope Science InstituteThe Space Telescope Science Institute is the science operations center for the Hubble Space Telescope and for the James Webb Space Telescope...
- Digitized Sky SurveyDigitized Sky SurveyThe Digitized Sky Survey is a digital version of several photographic atlases of the night sky, and an ongoing project to produce more digital versions of photographic astronomical datasets.- Versions and source material :...
- Palomar ObservatoryPalomar ObservatoryPalomar Observatory is a privately owned observatory located in San Diego County, California, southeast of Pasadena's Mount Wilson Observatory, in the Palomar Mountain Range. At approximately elevation, it is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology...