Anglo-Australian Telescope, Optical telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia.
The Anglo-Australian Telescope is a 3.9-metre optical telescope inside a seven-storey circular concrete building topped by a 36-metre rotating steel dome, with the dome top 50 metres above ground. Its tube sits in a 12-metre horseshoe that turns around the polar axis; the moving mass is 260 tonnes. Interchangeable top-end rings give prime, Cassegrain and other foci.
The telescope was inaugurated in 1974 with a visit by Prince Charles, marking the start of modern astronomical research in the Southern Hemisphere through British-Australian collaboration. This partnership established the foundation for years of intensive scientific work at the site.
The AAT's name reflects its origin: a joint British-Australian project, funded entirely by Australia since 2010. Observing time is open to astronomers worldwide, and the 2dF positioner lets up to 400 optical fibres be placed robotically across a 2-degree field, so many researchers share each night's sky.
The telescope is located at 1,100 meters elevation in the mountains of New South Wales, where clear nights provide good observing conditions. Visitors should know that it gets cool at this altitude and sturdy footwear is helpful when walking around the site.
Between 2001 and 2003, it was the most productive telescope of its size in the world, measured by the number of scientific publications from its observations. This achievement shows how effectively the instrument was used for groundbreaking research.
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