Ultimate test results on the active optics system of the Galileo Telescope

摘要

The Galileo Telescope (TNG) is a Ritchey-Chretienne telescope with an aperture of 3.58 meters and is located in La Palma Island. Since the first light in June 1998, several nights have been used to calibrate and to test the active optics system, an operation involving also the control and reduction software and the optics of the de-rotator system. At the moment the active optics system routinely works at the beginning of the nights to support both technical and scientific observations. The ultimate tests on the control system are here reported and its performances are analysed in order to quantify the final optical quality. Also a brief report on the effects of the serrourier temperature is reported. A comparison between Shack-Hartmann analysis performed on the rotator adapter bench and wavefront analysis on the instrument focal plane (at Nasmith station) is also reported. Some images taken in the visible and near infrared ranges during the same night are shown.