Optical fine tuning of the system during Final Acceptance tests provides images of 0.15” FWHM using “lucky imaging” techniques

CEFCA has proceeded with the final acceptance of the JST/T250 telescope installed at the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre after carrying out additional tests with the verification camera in order to test proper operation of the telescope.

After an intense period of fine tuning and optimization tasks developed by the OAJ/CEFCA Team, systematic observations with T80Cam@JAST/T80 have started. The telescope–camera system is in optimal performance, reaching normally seeing-limited images. So far, a best gaussian FWHM of 0.63”(+/-0.09”) over the 2deg² focal plane of T80Cam has been recorded.

Achieved images of 0.33” PSF with “lucky imaging” techniques

Last September 2015, the JST/T250 telescope at the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre passed successfully the Provisional Acceptance test review. This milestone represents a big step forward for the completion of the project, only pending the Final Acceptance tests that shall be completed in the next weeks.

The scientific instrument for the JAST/T80 telescope, T80Cam, has been successfully installed at the Cassegrain focus of the JAST/T80 telescope of the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (CEFCA).

In September 25th, at 22:57h Local Time, the Javalambre Survey Telescope (JST/T250) achieved engineering first light. This is a very important milestone in the project since it is the first time that photons from the Universe, in this case coming from the Polaris star, have gone through the complete optical system of the telescope as it was designed.

JST / T250 telescope of the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (OAJ) was completely integrated on September 2, 2014. The integration of the telescope with the final optical elements was made after a previous test phase in which the mechanical and control parts of the telescope were verified with dummies instead of the real optical elements.

The assembly of the main telescope of the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (OAJ) is one of the most important milestones of the project. The first structural pieces of the JST / T250 arrived last month, and now they have begun to settle in the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre.

The dome of the building that will contain the JST / T250 telescope of the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre has been installed this week. This operation was done once the performance and sealing tests were successfully conducted.

The JST/T250 telescope has passed the first test of general operation that was conducted this week at the headquarters of the Belgian company AMOS, responsible for the construction of the telescope. This is the first phase for the preliminary acceptance of the telescope.

Last week, CEFCA engineers moved to the Belgian company AMOS headquarters to discuss the final details of the final version of the control software of the telescope JST / T250. After the meetings, in which members of AMOS and of OSL company have participated, CEFCA engineers have given approval for the finalization of the software, which will be delivered to CEFCA in a few weeks.

The arrival of the telescope to the Pico del Buitre involves starting the night activities of the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (CEFCA's observatory). This is one of the most important milestones of the project.

Last February, the factory integration phase of the JAST/T80 telescope of the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (CEFCA) was completed. The telescope is assembled at Bamberg (Germany) where it is currently being tested with dummy optics. Preliminary tests show that the telescope can move with a velocity of up to 40 degrees per second, which makes T80 one of the worldwide fastest telescopes.

Towards the end of October, AMOS, the Belgian company responsible for the construction of the telescopes for the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (OAJ), started the manufacturing of the main mechanical parts of the JST/T250. The construction of the telescope, to be installed at the OAJ by mid 2012, is currently on schedule and its main structure is expected to be erected at the Belgian plant by January.

The brazilian partners of the Javalambre Physics of the Accelerated Universe Astrophysical Survey (J-PAS) collaboration, will put an identical replica of the OAJ JAST/T80 telescope of the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (CEFCA's observatory) in the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), in Chile.

On September 16th 2011, the dome of the JAST/T80 telescope arrived at the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (CEFCA's observatory). The dome, the final design of which was approved last January, has been manufactured by Ash-Dome (Illinois, USA) in galvanized steel and holds winds up to 250 Km/h.