2005-06 Summer Photos - South Pole Telescope (SPT)
 Since this thing is so big, forgive me if I start with a few conceptual views. Above is one artist's conception of SPT, the big submillimeter telescope that started to arise from a big hole west of DSL (VP)... | |
 Here's another conceptual view, this one of the model. It shows the large ground shield which gets put up in 2007-08.(SPT). All of the submillimeter telescopes at Pole have had ground shields to block off interference from near the horizon.... |
 And like most of them, the SPT will have a section (this one 60°) that can open to allow short observations near the horizon, including calibration (looking at planets) and test observations of a tower-mounted target. (SPT). |
And as if the telescope itself doesn't dominate the Pole horizon already even without the ground shield (as seen in the above views, it dwarfs the adjacent DSL)...here are a few more views to emphasize the size as it were: | |
 This drawing shows the telescope with the primary mirror pointing upward in an operational position, and identifies some of the components, including the outer ground shield and a second inner radiation shield. (SPT) |
 These drawings have dimensions in inches (hmmm). (SPT) |
Okay, we know this is a "10 meter telescope" which means that the diameter of the primary mirror, the large curved dish, is, well, 10 meters, or about the same distance (33 feet) that the Pole marker gets moved every year. In the planning stages this used to be called the "8-meter telescope"--I don't know what happened, but in any case the image from the outer 1-meter ring of the primary mirror will usually be discounted so maybe it really is an 8-meter instrument, whidh is what they used to call it. As for that big ground shield, the outside diameter will be 144 feet...almost as big as the (165') dome. But since it is conical rather than dome-shaped, the overall structure will be bigger than the dome. And speaking of the dome, the ground shield structure is being fabricated by Temcor, the same folks that brought us the dome! The ground shield is made of 1/16" thick aluminum panels (supported by a steel frame) with an epoxy phenolic coating so that snow won't stick to it...therefore the bottom of the truncated-cone-shaped shield is open. Hope the snow doesn't stick. By the way, the primary mirror itself has electric heaters. Okay, enough of these drawings, on to the real stuff... As with all great construction projects this started with a big hole in the ground...the ceremonial groundbreaking happened on 15 November 2004. I can't recognize all the folks, but C-Note (Carlton Walker) is obviously in the middle of the group (SPT) | |
 Here us what the hole looked like a year later when I took this photo from DSL a couple of days before leaving Pole in November 2005. In the background is the VLF shack, which had been moved west previously to make room for the big dig. |
 And a few days after I left, here is the completed excavation being laid out. (C) |
 Arranging the foundation pieces...(C) |
 ...into a hexagon to support the main telescope foundation. (EB) |
 Starting to put the steel base frame together...(KY) |
 ....and the structure goes up...(CC) |
 ...thus. (KY) |
 A view from another angle. (C) |
 A closer view. (JM) |
 ...like this, looking the other way (C). |
| Continue on.... | |