Background

The 4 metre reflector Nicholas U. Mayall telescope (simply referred to as the Mayall 4m telescope) was named after the former director of the Kitt Peak National Observatory, whom bared the same name (pictured right). The telescope was ready for operation in 1973 (termed its first light), five years after its initial construction, and is one of the largest telescopes in the world. It is located at an altitude of, approximately 2km above sea level Figure 1 - Nicholas U. Mayall it is the highest point at Kitt Peak and is roughly 88km away from the nearest city Tucson (see google maps image on front page). There is an identical telescope that was built in Chile, which has the same specification as that of the Mayall telescope.

Structure
From the image, which can be seen on the front page, the Mayall 4m telescope stands just below the summit of Kitt peak and dwarfs the surrounding domes in the process. The 50m high structure (excluding the dome), which is constructed out of ten hexahedrons, is visible up to a staggering 80 kilometres away (approximately). The building was designed to sustain wind speeds up 190 kilometres, which would be hurricane speeds. The wind speeds experienced appear to be higher than that of the other telescopes that are positioned nearby.
Figure 2 - Mayall 4m Telescope, under construction.

The dome itself rotates as the structure below remains stationary. The

telescope is separate from the dome but they still move in unison with each other. This detached nature allows for, theoretically, easier repair if need be.

Advantage Reflector

Figure 3 - Ritchey-Chretien designed telescope, how the mirrors work.

The telescope itself is a reflector telescope specifically a RitcheyChretien design, i.e. it makes use of mirrors to obtain an image. A simple technical specification of the design can be viewed to the right.

It has a focal length of 2.7, the low number allows for a greater field of view, thus being able to include the entirety of a galaxy in an image (as seen on the next page). The primary mirror weighs 15 tons and at the same time is polished to a millionth of an inch; its aluminium coating is one thousandth the thickness of human hair. There are several advantages of it being a reflector telescope in comparison with a refractor telescope. Image quality-wise it prevents chromatic aberration from happening. Chromatic aberration involves the misinterpretation of the image due to varying wavelengths from converging at different points. Another major factor when considering a reflector telescope is, obviously, the price. As mirrors are the main components within these instruments, the mirror does not have to be perfect on both sides. They can usually achieve similar apertures than that of refractors but as stated, at a better value.

The final advantage entails balancing issues that telescopes often suffer; this can be overcome with a reflector telescope by placing a large mirror at the back of the telescope. Unbalancing issues with refractor telescopes can lead to blurry images.

The Role of the Telescope

The Mayall 4m telescope benefits from having an 8192 x 8192 CCD, which allows it to produce colour images. The field of view is 36 arc minutes, which in comparison with the Faulkes telescopes 11 arc minutes, is impressive. The main wavelengths for which the telescope is used at, involves infrared and faint visible light. Its main discovery is the understanding of rotation curves of distant galaxies and thus expanding upon the role of dark matter in the universe. The telescope has also (but not limited to) been able to define the dynamical structure of elliptical galaxies. Its architecture is relatively out of date; however it is still controlled by a computer control room. It has undergone upgrades, including improved air circulation and temperature control. Such alterations have enabled for finer astronomical images. The secondary mirror is computer controlled, along with the mirror edge.

Images - Below are some images that have been obtained by the Mayall
4m telescope.