Ground-Based Telescope:
Design Optimization Challenge
In
attempting to optimize the performance of ground based telescopes, the
following design drivers were adopted and resulted in the LBT concept:
- Large total collecting area for sensitivity on
faint objects.
- High imaging quality through passive, active and
adaptive control of seeing ("seeing" is the term used by astronomers to
describe the atmospheric blurring of stellar images) and other
aberrations.
- Clean, thermal infrared design to minimize
background radiation.
- Versatile instrumentation and rapid interchange
of optical configuration to take maximum advantage of specific observing
conditions.
- High ultimate spatial resolution by providing a
relatively long baseline.
- Low construction and operations costs.
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LBT
Project as a Response to the Challenge
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LBT
simulated PSF by Serge Correia |
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Why Build LBT
