National Solar Observatory/Kitt Peak

McMath-Pierce Facility Information

 National Solar Observatory
  • Main observing room description, and a webcam of the observing room.

  • FTS room floorplan.

  • Facts about the McMath-Pierce Telescope

  • Solar/Stellar Observations Guide

  • Guide to taking Mercury observations

  • The McMath-Pierce telescope complex comprises three telescopes in one: the main, east auxiliary, and west auxiliary mirror systems. The three telescopes can be used concurrently and independently. Here is an optical diagram of the mirror systems for use in conjuction with the table below (All dimensions are in meters).

    Optical Parameters of the McMath-Pierce Telescope Facility
    Main Beam East Auxiliary West Auxiliary
    Normal Distances:
    A
    136
    91
    88
    B
    75
    30
    27
    C
    9
    9
    9
    Diameters:
    Heliostats
    2.03
    0.91
    0.91
    No. 2 Mirror
    1.52
    1.07
    0.91
    No. 3 Mirror
    1.52
    0.91
    0.91
    Clear aperature
    1.51
    0.81
    0.81
    Focal Length:
    82.62
    40.37
    35.8
    f-ratio:
    54
    50
    44
    Image Diameter:
    0.82
    0.37
    0.33
    Image Scale(arcsec/mm):
    2.50
    5.11
    5.76

  • The telescope and equipment are more fully described in the "McMath Solar Telescope of the Kitt Peak National Observatory," A. K. Pierce, Applied Optics 3, 1337-1346, 1964. Note that specific values of the parameters of the telescope may have changed from those described in the 1964 article. This facility map is a cross-sectional drawing of the telescope.

Christoph Keller and Ruth A. Kneale | February 26, 2003
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