Contemporaries On Commissioning
Although seeing in the infrared, the UKIRT was large for an optical telescopes and signaled a coming focus on this part of the spectrum that only grew in the coming decades. Other IR dedicated telescopes include WIRO 2.3 in Wyoming, USA, the Gornergrat Infrared Telescope (TIRGO, 1.5 m) in the Swiss alps, and a 1.6 m at Mont Mégantic Observatory in Canada. Eventually, Britain produced VISTA, but it is in the southern hemisphere.
Here is the UKIRT (then called Infrared Flux Collector) compared to the other largest optical telescopes circa 1978, only a some of these could also see in the near infrared.
| # | Name(s) / Observatory |
Image | Aperture | Spectrum | Altitude | First Light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BTA-6 Special Astrophysical Obs |
238 inch 605 cm |
Visible | 2070 m (6791 ft) |
1975 | |
| 2 | Hale Telescope Palomar Obs. |
200 inch 508 cm |
Visible | 1713 m (5620 ft) |
1949 | |
| 3 | Mayall Telescope Kitt Peak National Obs. |
158 inch 401 cm |
Visible | 2120 m (6955 ft) |
1973 | |
| 4 | Blanco Telescope CTIO Obs. |
158 inch 401 cm |
Visible | 2200 m 7217 feet |
1976 | |
| 5 | Anglo-Australian Telescope Siding Spring Obs. |
153 inch 389 cm |
Visible | 1742 m (5715 ft) |
1974 | |
| 6 | United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Joint Astronomy Centre |
150 inch 380 cm |
Infrared | 4205m (13,800 ft) |
1979 | |
| 7 | ESO 3.6 m Telescope ESO La Silla Obs. |
140 inch 357 cm |
Visible Infrared |
2400 m m (7874 ft) |
1977 | |
| 8 | Shane Telescope Lick Observatory |
120 inch 305 cm |
Visible | 1283 m (4209 ft) |
1959 |
Read more about this topic: United Kingdom Infrared Telescope
Related Phrases
Related Words