The IRAIT Project

• Published in: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
• Main Authors: Busso, M., Tosti, G., Persi, P., Ferrari-Toniolo, M., Ciprini, S., Corcione, L., Gasparoni, F., Dabalá, M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2002
• Subjects: Space and Planetary Science; Astronomy and Astrophysics; Antarctic; Concordia Station; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/as01076; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1323358000007189

Abstract We present the status of the project IRAIT (the Italian Robotic Antarctic Infrared Telescope) that will be hosted at Dome C in the Italo-French Concordia station. We review the main scientific motivations of the effort, and describe the characteristics of the telescope, which has been completed and is now under test at the Coloti-Montone site operated by the University of Perugia. Then we describe the design of the mid-IR camera that is under construction, showing some examples of the applications on the basis of the twin instrument TIRCAM II , now operating at the Italian Infrared Telescope TIRGO.