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M. W. Johns (Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington)
The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) is a joint project of a consortium of universities and research institutions to build and operate a 21.5-m equivalent aperture astronomical telescope for use at visible and IR wavelengths. This paper provides an overview of the project organization and the preliminary designs for the telescope and enclosure. The telescope is designed around a fast, f/0.7 primary mirror that results in a compact and stiff mount structure. The 25.3-meter diameter primary mirror consists of six off-axis 8.4-meter circular mirrors arranged in a hexagon around a center 8.4-meter mirror. Plans to prototype the first off-axis mirror segment are described. The design includes a Gregorian adaptive secondary mirror that allows two-mirror, wide-field AO operation. Instruments being considered for GMT provide a range of scientific capabilities in the visible and IR. GMT will be located in Northern Chile and site testing is currently underway at Las Campanas Observatory.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.