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Altair

Gemini NorthAO system
Last Modified: 
Thursday, January 14, 2021 - 14:25

ALTAIR (ALTtitude conjugate Adaptive optics for the InfraRed) is the facility natural/laser guide star adaptive optics system of the Gemini North telescope. It can feed a corrected beam to Gemini instruments NIRI and NIFS. Deploying ALTAIR is "transparent" for the science instrument, as it reproduces the telescope focal ratio (f/16), pupil size and pupil position. ALTAIR is usable in the 1 - 2.5 micron range, with best results achieved in the H and K bands. L- and M-band performance is poor because of the low (~15%) transmittance of the ALTAIR optics in those bands and the greatly increased thermal background.

Temporarily Unavailable For Proposals at Gemini North
For more details, see the schedules and the CfPs.
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Capability Summary

Natural Guide Star (NGS)

  • Guide star magnitude limit
    • 11-12 mag for full correction
    • 15-16 mag for partial correction
  • Core FWHM~0.08"

Laser guide Star (LGS)

  • High Strehl correction limits
    • Guide star magnitude: 8.5 < R < 15
    • Guide star within 15"
    • 50% of NGS Strehl
  • Low Strehl correction
    • Guide star magnitude: 15 < R < 17.5-18.5 (depends on SB)
    • Guide star within 25"
    • Strehl of ~10%

Super Seeing (LGS+P1)

  • Improves IQ by a factor of 2-3 over the natural seeing (on-axis)
  • P1WFS magnitude limit: R ~ 14

ALTAIR was built by the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (HIA), Canada. ALTAIR Natural Guide Star (NGS) function has been offered since 2004A. In 2007A, the ALTAIR Laser Guide Star (LGS) commissioning was completed.

Instrument Team

Instrument Scientist

Laure Catala

Additional Support Staff
    • Marie Lemoine-Busserolle
    • Andy Stephens

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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