Russian-Turkish 1.5-m Telescope

Russian version
RTT150
Russian-Turkish 1.5-m Telescope

 
High energy Astrophysics department of IKI, Moscow
International astrophysical observatory Spectrum-X-Gamma
International astrophysical space observatory INTEGRAL

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HEAD IKI

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This page is devoted to the 1.5-m telescope RTT150 (150-cm Russian-Turkish Telescope, previously called AZT-22) located on mountain Bakyrlytepe in the south of Turkey. The telescope is a joint project of Kazan University Observatory (V.P.Engel'gardt Astronomical observatory), Space Research Institute (IKI) of Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow) and the National Observatory of Turkey, the latter being also responsible for the telescope technical service. RTT150 was manufactured at LOMO and is analogous to the telescope located on mountain Maidanak in Uzbekistan. Participation in installation, equipment and debugging of a telescope has allowed IKI to receive 15% of all observational time for this instrument. Focal detectors of the telescope include ST-8 CCD matrix bought with the financial support of the Ministry of Science and Technologies of Russian Federation (currently being used in the autoguide system), AP-47p CCD (since summer 2002) and starting from spring 2003 - Andor DW436 CCD with a standard set of filters (see Focal instruments). One of the main goals of the telescope will be optical ground support of our space projects, first of all - INTEGRAL. While the final works on tuning telescope control system are still carried out, realization of the scientific program of observations has begun in autumn 2000 (see data archive). Results of the mirror alignment and the first scientific data obtained with the telescope testify very high quality of optics and favorable astroclimate at its location site.