Project VISTA: a review of its progress and overview of the current program

Alistair M. McPherson; Simon C. Craig; Will Sutherland

doi:10.1117/12.458235

4 February 2003 Project VISTA: a review of its progress and overview of the current program

Alistair M. McPherson, Simon C. Craig, Will Sutherland

Proceedings Volume 4837, Large Ground-based Telescopes; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.458235
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

The Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) project started in 2000 following a Joint Infrastructure Fund award (JIF) to a consortium of 18 UK Universities . The JIF proposal was for a 4 metre class telescope with the ability to mount a visible and an infrared wide field camera. The UK Astronomy Technology Centre successfully tendered for the management of the project of developing and building the telescope in two phases. The initial phase was intended to review the proposed design and carry out a conceptual study. The second phase being the development, manufacture and commissioning of this design. As a result of the first phase, a conceptual design based on an f/1 primary mirror telescope and cold baffle IR camera has been developed. The IR Camera focal plane has been sized to accommodate sixteen 2k × 2k IR detectors, putting VISTA at the forefront of IR Survey Astronomy. The project team have developed this conceptual design into formal ITT's to allow the design and manufacture to commence. The telescope will be sited at the ESO Observatory in Paranal and is due for completion in 2006.

Citation Download Citation

Alistair M. McPherson, Simon C. Craig, and Will Sutherland "Project VISTA: a review of its progress and overview of the current program", Proc. SPIE 4837, Large Ground-based Telescopes, (4 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.458235

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