WIYN Observatory

WIYN Observatory. . , WIYN , Visible to the south is the octagonal dome enclosure of the 3.5 meter WIYN telescope. Dedicated in 1994, the WIYN Observatory was originally operated by a consortia consisting of the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale and NOAO. The location of the WIYN telescope on the south end of the summit of Kitt Peak was chosen to take advantage of the excellent seeing that occurs there., Seeing is an astronomical term used to describe the steadiness of the atmosphere. Similar to the shimmering waves visible rising from a road surface on a hot summer day, temperature differentials create unsteady air that can severely degrade astronomical images. WIYN's location and design were chosen to minimize these effects., A New Generation , Incorporating advances in material telescope design and optical fabrication, the WIYN telescope uses a lightweight honeycomb mirror and supporting structure, along with a computer guided alt-azimuth mount. These design advancements allow for a much smaller dome enclosure and more rapid cool-down to ambient temperature of the telescope mirror, maintaining a temperature 0.2° C below ambient temperature. Similar in diameter to the Mayall telescope (3.5 meter vs 4 meter), the WIYN telescope weighs only about a tenth as much and occupies a significantly smaller environmental footprint. Turning back (north) to look at the 4 meter Mayall Observatory, makes for an interesting comparison between these two generations of telescopes., The Search for Exoplanets , Exoplanets are planets that exist beyond our solar system. Over the past decades, the number of known exoplanets has increased from just a few, to thousands. The WIYN telescope coupled with the NEID spectrograph will be on the forefront of exoplanet discovery. The name "NEID" is derived from the Tohono O'odham word meaning "to see" and is a collaboration between NASA and the National Science Foundation. The NEID spectrograph relies on ultra-precise measurements of a star's motion to detect slight gravitational perturbations that may be caused by an unseen orbiting exoplanet., WIYN One-Degree Imager (ODI) , The One Degree Imager (ODI) is an imager designed to take advantage of the excellent seeing and superb image quality of the WIYN telescope. The ODI (affectionally pronounced "oh-dee-I") produces high resolution images over a one degree field, seeing details as small as 0.3 arc-seconds across the image plane to provide WIYN with a world-class imaging platform. The ODI camera weighs in at 2800 pounds, and is stabilized to compensate for tracking errors and local environmental vibrations. The ODI typically employs 30 CCD-like detector arrays totaling over 500 million pixels and is equipped with a diverse set of filters across the visible spectrum., In Memory of: , Francis N. Jank (Frank) 1932-2016 , His deep rich voice led him to a career in broadcast, which took him from Wisconsin to Washington State., His love of travel spanned all 50 states, plus Canada, Mexico and Europe., His life-long interest in astronomy resulted in his becoming a docent of nearly 10 years at Kitt Peak National Observatory., He now walks with the stars.