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`Alopeke & Zorro

Gemini North Gemini SouthOptical
Last Modified: 
Thursday, January 14, 2021 - 14:29

`Alopeke and Zorro (Hawaiian and Spanish for "fox") are identical fast, low-noise, dual-channel, and dual-plate-scale imagers based on the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI, Horch et al.2009, 2012). `Alopeke is permanently mounted on the calibration port at Gemini North, and Zorro on the calibration port at Gemini South. In speckle mode they provide simultaneous two-color diffraction-limited optical imaging (FWHM~0.02" at 650nm) of targets as faint as V~17 over a 6.7" field of view. Wide-field mode provides simultaneous two-color imaging in standard SDSS filters over a 60" field of view.

Available For Proposals at Gemini North
For more details, see the schedules and the CfPs.
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Available For Proposals at Gemini South
For more details, see the schedules and the CfPs.
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Current Instruments

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  • `Alopeke & Zorro
    • Capability
    • Components
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    • Calibrations
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  • GRACES
  • MAROON-X

Pages

  • Capability
  • Components
  • Proposal preparation
  • Calibrations
  • Observation preparation
  • Data reduction

Capability Summary

Speckle Imaging

  • 1-minute integrations comprised of 1000 images of 60 msec each
  • 256x256 pixel (2.5") subarray
  • Can achieve diffraction-limited resolution (0.016" FWHM at 500nm and 0.025" at 800nm)
  • Larger subarrays may be used for extended objects, but the performance will depend on the stability of the atmosphere.

Wide-Field

  • Read out of the full frame at 1MHz
  • Possible to:
    • bin
    • read out a subarray
    • use the EMCCD amplifier for faster readout
    • read more slowly (0.1 MHz) for lower read noise

Guiding Options

  • PWFS

Papers containing 'Alopeke and/or Zorro data should acknowledge Gemini and the 'Alopeke / Zorro team.

The PI for the Gemini Speckle program is Steve Howell (NASA Ames Research Center).

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Instrument Team

Instrument Scientist GN

Andrew Stephens


Instrument Scientist GS

Ricardo Salinas

Gemini Observatory Participants

The Gemini Observatory provides the astronomical communities in six participant countries with state-of-the-art astronomical facilities that allocate observing time in proportion to each country's contribution. In addition to financial support, each country also contributes significant scientific and technical resources. The national research agencies that form the Gemini partnership include: the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the Canadian National Research Council (NRC), the Chilean Comisión Nacional de Investigación Cientifica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), the Brazilian Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, the Argentinean Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Institute (KASI). The observatory is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with the NSF. The NSF also serves as the executive agency for the international partnership.


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