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A.T. Tokunaga, S.J. Bus, J.T. Rayner (Inst. for Astronomy, Univ. of Hawaii)
The NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) is a 3.0-meter infrared telescope located at the summit of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii. The IRTF was established by NASA in 1979 primarily to provide infrared observations in support of NASA’s programs. The IRTF is designed for maximum performance in the infrared portion of the spectrum, taking advantage of the high transmission, excellent seeing, minimal water vapor, and low thermal backgrounds which characterize the atmosphere above Mauna Kea. The IRTF telescope provides a f/35 Cassegrain focus with a multi-instrument mount that simultaneously accommodates 3 facility instruments and a visitor instrument. Recent upgrades and capabilities include: availability of a 10 micron camera, remote observing (from Hilo or your office), a new acquisition camera, and a new 36-element adaptive optics system. A visible CCD camer will also be available in the near future.
We acknowledge the support of NASA Cooperative Agreement NCC5-538.
If the author provided an email address or URL for general inquiries,
it is as follows:
http://irtf.ifa.hawaii.edu/
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #3< br> © 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.