14 DAY TRIAL // Astronomers managing the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) have recently announced that the new camera aboard the observatory, called CanariCam, has recently seen its first light. The term is used in astronomy to indicate the first observations conducted with a new instrument, similar to a ship's maiden voyage. The GTC is a 10.4-meter (410-inch) reflecting telescope, located at an altitude of about 2,267 meters (7,440 feet), on the island of La Palma, in the Canary Islands of Spain. AlphaGalileo reports that the new camera will work in thermal infrared, in wavelengths between 7.5 and 25 micrometers.
The first observation was conducted on the bright star 20 Ceti, located in the Whale Constellation. Its position and brightness make it very easy to be observed for prolonged periods of times, and also make it an ideal target for instrument calibration. Now that CanariCam has seen its first light, it is on track for a commissioning date sometime in spring 2010, experts say. The important event took place on November 18, at 22.10 local time, from the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos, in La Palma. The island is very suited for ground-based astronomical observations, as it benefits from clear skies, and very little atmospheric interferences.
“Although the image was not perfect, as is often the case with first light observations, to us it was as beautiful as a new born baby is to its parents,” expert Charles Telesco says of the achievement. He is the principal investigator for the new infrared instrument. The scientist is based at the University of Florida, in the United States. He reveals that the camera is so advanced, that a single night of observations will yield a flow of data similar to the one obtained after 40 nights of observations from regular, four-meter observatories. “CanariCam is special because it is a very demanding instrument that will require high quality images from the telescope. With CanariCam the GTC will truly be able to work to its full potential,” GTC Director Pedro Alvarez adds.
The new instrument is so complex, that experts who will be in charge of operating it will soon begin to take special training courses. “This process, which will help us to understand the complex interaction between CanariCam, the GTC and the atmosphere, will deliver a truly exceptional infrared camera with which to explore the Universe,” Telesco says. “These first trials, both in the laboratory and the first light observations, indicate that CanariCam is working well and indeed is exceeding our expectations,” he adds, saying that the camera, however, needs a lot more calibration than originally thought.