Abstract

While the effect of mirror and dome temperatures on seeing quality has been the subject of several recent laboratory experiments (1,2,3), no data from working telescope systems has been published. In this paper, I present data collected on telescopes of two different designs located at the Maui Space Surveillance Site located near the 10,000 foot summit of Haleakala Volcano on Maui, HI. The 1.6 meter aperture AMOS telescope is a closed tube Cassegrain design which tends to trap mirror generated turbulence and channel it along the telescope line of site. The 1.2 meter aperture MOTIF telescope is an open truss Cassegrain design with a short tube which extends about 1 meter above the mirror. The telescopes are housed in separate 15 meter domes located about 50 meters apart.

© 1992 Optical Society of America