Fabrication of mirrors for the Magellan telescopes and the Large Binocular Telescope

Hubert M. Martin; Richard G. Allen; James H. Burge; Lee R. Dettmann; Dean A. Ketelsen; Stephen M. Miller III; Jose M. Sasian

doi:10.1117/12.458606

4 February 2003 Fabrication of mirrors for the Magellan Telescopes and the Large Binocular Telescope

Hubert M. Martin, Richard G. Allen, James H. Burge, Lee R. Dettmann, Dean A. Ketelsen, Stephen M. Miller III, Jose M. Sasian

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4837, Large Ground-based Telescopes; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.458606
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

We describe the fabrication and testing of the 6.5 m f/1.25 primary mirrors for the Magellan telescopes and the 8.4 m f/1.14 primary mirrors for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). These mirrors, along with the 6.5 m MMT primary, are the fastest and most aspheric large mirrors made. Steward Observatory developed special methods to polish and measure these and other fast mirrors. We use a stressed-lap polishing tool to fit the aspheric surface while providing strong passive smoothing, and computer-generated holograms to verify the measurement of up to 1.4 mm peak-to-valley asphericity to an accuracy of 0.01%. The Magellan mirrors are diffraction-limited at visible wavelengths, with surface accuracies of about 20 nm rms on active supports. We are currently polishing the first LBT primary mirror and preparing to make the thin shells for the LBT adaptive secondary mirrors.

Citation Download Citation

Hubert M. Martin, Richard G. Allen, James H. Burge, Lee R. Dettmann, Dean A. Ketelsen, Stephen M. Miller III, and Jose M. Sasian "Fabrication of mirrors for the Magellan Telescopes and the Large Binocular Telescope", Proc. SPIE 4837, Large Ground-based Telescopes, (4 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.458606

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