Gemini North

 

Gemini North

Name(s) Gemini North 
Status Operational
Broad Science Goals
  • Twin telescopes in both hemispheres provide participant members with access to the entire sky
  • To provide the best image quality possible from the ground for telescopes of their size.
  • To provide the cleanest possible (i.e. lowest possible emissivity) telescopes, for optimal infrared observing from the ground.
 

The Gemini Observatory is a world-leader in wide-field adaptive optics assisted infrared imaging, and supports research in almost all areas of astronomy.

Site Maunakea, Hawai‘i, USA
Location Coordinates 19º49.4’N
155º28.1’W
Altitude 4124 meters (13,825 ft)
Enclosure 46-meter rotating dome
Type Optical/Infrared telescope
Optical Design Ritchey-Chretien Cassegrain
Field of View Maximum 10 arcminutes diameter on the bottom port, and 7 arcminutes diameter on the side ports due to science fold mirror size
Diameter: Primary M1 8.1 meters
Material: Primary M1 Corning Ultra-Low Expansion (ULE) Glass
Diameter: Secondary M2 1.0 meter
Material: Secondary M2  
Mount rapid tip-tilt and chopping mechanism
First Light Date 1999
Adaptive Optics AO system, ALTAIR, has been offered at Gemini North since 2003 and is now available for use with both natural and laser guide stars with NIRI and NIFS.

                                       

Please help us to complete this page by emailing information and corrections to info@noirlab.edu.

 

 

Updated on February 15, 2022, 3:56 am