2.5@C - An Off-Axis Telescope Concept for Antarctic Astronomy

• Published in: SPIE Proceedings, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes IV
• Main Authors: Moretto, G., Epchtein, Nicolas, Langlois, Maud, Vauglin, Isabelle
• Other Authors: Institut de Physique Nucléaire de Lyon (IPNL), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3), Joseph Louis LAGRANGE (LAGRANGE), Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (. - 2019) (UNS), COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon (CRAL), École normale supérieure - Lyon (ENS Lyon)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2012
• Subjects: infrared cases for Antarctica; off-axis telescope; low scattered light; low emissivity; [PHYS.ASTR.IM]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysic [astro-ph.IM]; [SDU.ASTR.IM]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysic [astro-ph.IM]; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hal.in2p3.fr/in2p3-00740937; http://hal.in2p3.fr/in2p3-00740937/document; http://hal.in2p3.fr/in2p3-00740937/file/SPIE12_8444_206.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1117/12.927257

8 pages The Antarctic plateau offers exceptional atmospheric and environmental conditions for astronomical observations over a wide range of wavelengths and uniquely favorable to infrared astronomy. Exceptional low sky brightness throughout the near- and mid-infrared and a telescope facility complying with the highest possible dynamic range for photometry, angular resolution and the wide-field leads to the possibility of a modest-sized 2m off-axis telescope achieving comparable sensitivity to that of a larger ground-based 8-10m class telescope or a same sized space-based ones.