The Discovery Channel Telescope Sees First Light

The Discovery Channel Telescope Sees First Light

Built by Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, the DCT is the fifth largest telescope in the continental United States and will be used by Lowell astronomers to further research fundamental aspects of our universe. The Discovery Channel will air the "Making of the DCT" film documentary this fall. (Image Credit: Lowell Observatory, Boston University)

Forty miles southeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, at the Happy Jack site, the Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) has reached completion. This 4.3-meter telescope rises seven stories above the top of a cinder cone. Lowell Observatory and Discovery Communications built this $53 million facility to push the frontier of knowledge and bring the marvels of the cosmos to millions. 

The DCT will be Lowell's flagship research telescope. Through its programming and online content, Discovery Channel will bring viewers an ongoing, inside look at the DCT and its fascinating science. The Discovery Channel will air a "Making of the DCT" film documentary this fall. 

What's so special about the DCT? Lowell astronomers will use the DCT to answer fundamental questions about our universe. In fact, some big questions – for example, how our solar system formed and how dwarf galaxies evolve – are only the beginning. The Ritchey-Chretien (RC) instrument configuration will allow Lowell astronomers to make spectroscopic and imaging observations simultaneously, answering questions about a wide range of research topics.

The DCT's Ritchey-Chretien focus will accommodate the instrument cube, which houses a suite of instruments that astronomers can use to investigate diverse aspects of our universe. Attached to the back of the primary mirror cell, the RC cube will initially contain three instruments: a Large Monolithic Imager (LMI), a Near Infrared High Throughput Spectrograph (NIHTS), and a DeVeny Spectrograph.

The Large Monolithic Imager (LMI)

An all-purpose camera, the LMI will serve as the principal imager and workhorse instrument for the first light DCT. Lowell astronomer Phil Massey is Principal Investigator for the instrument. Fully funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, the LMI will be built and commissioned by late 2012.

To maximize the field of view, the LMI will be mounted at the straight-through position of the RC instrument cube. Deployable fold mirrors inside the cube will allow fast switching between instruments mounted at the various ports. DCT users will therefore be able to conduct programs requiring near-simultaneous imaging and optical/near-infrared spectroscopy. The instrument will be controlled through Lowell Observatory's existing facilities at Anderson Mesa.

Besides being the DCT's workhorse, the LMI will set a precedent for wide-field imaging with monolithic cameras, as well as for more efficient future mosaics. 

The Near-Infrared High-Throughput Spectrograph (NIHTS)

This low-resolution spectrograph is funded by NASA's Planetary Astronomy and Planetary Major Equipment programs. Lowell astronomer Henry Roe will serve as the Principal Investigator for the NIHTS, one of the "first-light" instruments in 2012.

The NIHTS will be mounted on the RC instrument cube. This configuration facilitates fast switching between the NIHTS and other RC instruments that use one of the instrument cube's deployable internal mirrors. This mirror will reflect infrared light to NIHTS and allow visible light to pass through to the LMI at the bottom of the instrument cube. As a result, near-infrared spectroscopy and visible imaging can be performed simultaneously. 

The DeVeny Spectrograph

Currently in use at the 1.8-meter Perkins Telescope at Anderson Mesa, the DeVeny Spectrograph allows spectroscopic observations in visible light. It covers the spectrum from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared light at a variety of resolutions. Formerly in service at Kitt Peak National Observatory, it is now on indefinite loan to Lowell and enjoys regular usage. 

In October 2011, Lowell Observatory announced that Boston University (BU) had signed a long-term agreement to become a partner for the Discovery Channel Telescope. The agreement in perpetuity grants BU astronomers use of the world-class, four-meter telescope for 40 or more nights each year.

BU agreed to pay $10 million divided into one-year installments during the next decade, most of which will go toward the University's perpetual-use share of the DCT. Thereafter, BU will pay roughly $500,000 per year for ongoing operating costs for its share of both the DCT and Lowell's telescopes on Anderson Mesa. 

BU is second only to Discovery Communications and Discovery founder John Hendricks in its contribution to the DCT project, and the only Lowell partner to have opted for a long-term use investment in the facility.

In 1998, the Observatory and BU formed a partnership to share in the use and operational costs of the Perkins Telescope, along with Georgia State University.

Lowell Observatory is a private, non-profit research institution founded in 1894 by Percival Lowell. The Observatory has been the site of many important findings including the discovery of the large recessional velocities (redshift) of galaxies by Vesto Slipher in 1912-1914 (a result that led ultimately to the realization the universe is expanding), and the discovery of Pluto by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930. Today, Lowell's 20 astronomers use ground-based telescopes around the world, telescopes in space, and NASA planetary spacecraft to conduct research in diverse areas of astronomy and planetary science. The Observatory welcomes about 80,000 visitors each year to its Mars Hill campus in Flagstaff, Arizona for a variety of tours, telescope viewing, and special programs. Lowell Observatory currently has five research telescopes at its Anderson Mesa dark-sky site east of Flagstaff, including the Discovery Channel Telescope.