The ANU 2.3 metre telescope is an optical telescope situated at Siding Spring Observatory, and operated by the Australian National University's Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA).[1] The telescope was constructed during the early 1980s and featured, at the time, bold features and design: an unusually thin mirror, an altazimuth mount, and a co-rotating building.[2][1]
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| Alternative names | Advanced Technology Telescope |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | New South Wales, AUS |
| Coordinates | 31°16′18″S 149°03′44″E / 31.27167°S 149.06232°E |
| Organization | Australian National University |
| Altitude | 1,165 m |
| Diameter | 2.3 m |
| Secondary diameter | 0.3 m |
| Focal length | f/2.05 |
| Mounting | Altazimuth mount |
| Enclosure | Co-rotating |
  Location of ANU 2.3m Telescope | |
 Related media on Commons | |
History
editThe telescope was the initiative of Don Mathewson, the then-director of the observatory. It was inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, on 16 May 1984, and was regarded as an achievement in high technology for Australia.[3] In 1985, it won an award from the Institution of Engineers.[3] In early 2023 the telescope was automated, enabling it to instantly respond to alerts from other facilities. In particular, the automated telescope is well suited for studying time-varying sources such as supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and gravitational wave sources.[4][5]
Mirror
editThe telescope's mirror is unusually thin, with a diameter-to-thickness ratio of about 20:1.[3] The light mirror and rotating design allow the telescope to be rapidly moved as observations are made.
Instruments and Programs
editThe telescope's current instrument in the Wide-Field Spectrograph (WiFeS), an integral field spectrograph designed and built at the RSAA, and installed on the 2.3m telescope in 2009.[6] Previous instruments have included the Cryogenic Array Spectrometer/Imager (CASPIR), the Dual-Beam Spectrograph (DBS), an echelle spectrograph, and an imaging camera.[1]
The 2.3m telescope is regularly used by students from ANU and other universities, enabling students to gain experience working with large scientific telescopes.[1] The telescope also regularly performs follow-up observations on objects of interest identified by other detectors.[4] The telescope has been involved in a number of large survey programs, including the Dark Energy Bedrock All Sky Survey (DEBass), a survey of over 500 type Ia supernovae.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 4 "ANU 2.3m Telescope". Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ↑ Mathewson, Don S. (2013). "The Australian National University's 2.3m New Generation Telescope At Siding Spring Observatory". Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. 16 (1): 2–28 – via Sciengine.
- 1 2 3 Haynes, Raymond (1996). Explorers of the Southern Sky: A History of Australian Astronomy. Cambridge University Press. pp. 184–185. ISBN 0521365759. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
- 1 2 "2.3m Automation". Centre for Gravitational Astrophysics. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ↑ Price, Ian; Nielsen, Jon; Lidman, Chris; Soon, Jamie; Travouillon, Tony; Sharp, Rob (2024). "Converting the ANU 2.3 telescope to fully automated operation". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. 41. arXiv:2409.19842. doi:10.1017/pasa.2024.75. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ↑ "Wide-Field Spectrograph (WiFeS)". Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ↑ "DEBASS | Home". www.mso.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
