Mees Observatory - University of Rochester

Last updated: 2014 Aug 21 - Eric Mamajek
Photos, documentation, and links relevant to operating, maintaining the Mees Observatory 24" telescope and observatory building operated by the University of Rochester.

During fall semester 2014, Prof. Dan Watson started a new "Mees Observatory Wiki". So this website will be eventually retired and any relevant materials migrated to the new wiki page.

Instructions

Mees Observatory telescope and camera checklist (D. Watson 1 Sept 2011)

Technical specifications and drawings

Mees 24" technical specs
Boller & Chivens 2-page spec sheet for 24" telescope: and front and back
Diagram of mirror cell (wiffle trees are dashed lines with 3 pairs of bolts on back of mirror cell)
Instructions for installation of primary mirror in cell (original, 3 pages): page 1, page 2, page 3

Images from 2010 July

Primary Mirror Cleaning #1 and #2

Images from 2013 October

Warm room and hallway:
Computers in warm room
Conduit lines in warm room
RITMOS conduit box in warm room
Circuit box in hallway
Conduit line between warm room and hallway
Conduit lines in hallway ceiling outside of warm room

Telescope and dome:
Front of telescope pier
Inside of telescope pier
View of telescope pier opening w/ RITMOS cables
Back of 24" telescope (without black box), looking through primary mirror hole at dome interior
Electrical box in dome next to desk
Conduit line next to desk in dome

Other Information

Primary mirror M1: 24 in. (clear aperture), f/3.5, focal length 84 in., 4.37 in. thick. (density probably ~2.2 g/cc, weight ~160 lbs)

Secondary mirror M2: 6.55 in. (clear aperture), focal length -28.78 in., 1.5 in. thick.

Prime focus (not used): f/3.5, focal length 84 in. (21.31 in. behind M2 surface), 0.586 in. field (24 arcmin.)

Cassegrain focus: f/13.5, focal length 324 in., focus is 19.5 in. behind M1 surface and 12 in. behind mounting flange, FOV 24 arcmin. unvignetted = 2.26 in. field. Scale = 637.168 arcsec/inch = 0.0251 arcsec/micron (with ST-9, measured scale is 0.222+-0.001 arcsec/pixel assuming exactly 9 micron-size pixels)

Finder scope: objective is AR-coated, air-spaced (not cemented) achromatic doublet, 6" clear aperture f/10, Jaegers part number 1861. Classes are crown (front, convex) and flint (rear, concave). Spacing was adjusted by hand for chromatic correction (Fraunhofer F and C lines). COatings are "likely" to be single quarter-wave layers of MgF2 (notes from D. Watson 8/2014).

Location: Google Earth position: N 42:42:00.95, W 77:24:30.76, Elevation 2265 ft. (1969 estimate N 42:42:00.96, W 77:24:31.56, elev. 701 m; Neighboring US Coast and Geodetic survey marker 1969 position was N 42:42:00.538, W 77:24:31.362, Elev. 2260 ft.).

SBIG ST-9 Camera: ("newer CCD" but sent back for repair)

SBIG ST-7 Camera: ("old CCD" but currently on telescope) Class I Kodak KAF0400 CCD, 765 x 510 pixels (6.9mm x 4.6mm), 9 micron pixels, measured resolution at Mees 24" focus: 0.222+-0.001 arcsec/pixel. Field of view (FOV) = 2.81 x 1.87 arcmin = 168.3" x 112.2".

Kodak KAF-16803 Camera: 4096 x 4096 pixel, 9 micron pixels. Measured 0.224 arcsec/pixel scale (similar to ST-7 with same size pixels). Field of view (FOV) = 15.3 arcminutes (~half full moon).

CFW-8 Filter Wheel: 1.25 inch filters (red, green, blue, clear).

Plastic covering: Now using a large clear plastic sheet. We found that a blue tarp that was previously used was leaving lots of shredded plastic bits on the primary mirror (probably the main source of obscuration on the primary mirror surface).