Commissioning the Liverpool Telescope

Commissioning of the Liverpool Telescope (LT) is progressing well and JMU scientists are extremely pleased with the way the LT is performing.

Careful checks are taking place to see that the optics of the telescope are correctly aligned and that the instrument tracks the stars accurately. Most observations require exposures of many minutes and with the Earth slowly rotating on its axis the stars appear to move in the sky. Telescopes compensate for this movement by following or tracking the stars while the camera is making an exposure.

There are many computer systems controlling every aspect of the telescope and each must operate correctly as a unified system. JMU scientists are now integrating these systems and testing that everything works as it should.

The Telescope Management Centre (TMC) for the Liverpool Telescope and Faulkes Telescopes is located at the Astrophysics Research Institute - Liverpool John Moores University. The TMC oversees applications from astronomers and schools to use the telescope and the day to day running of the instrument. The centre also ensures maintenance is carried out and that any faults are diagnosed and corrected.

A lot of activity is currently going on at the TMC in Liverpool as the LT is put through its paces. JMU astronomers are on site in La Palma where the LT is located and other scientists and engineers are back in Liverpool (at the TMC) following events, and making their own checks on the performance of the telescope and its countless mechanical, electrical and computer systems.

JMU staff in the TMC

The picture on the left shows JMU staff checking systems and receiving an image of Saturn. It is very like "Mission Control" where a space probe far out in space is replaced by a robotic telescope far away in the Canary Isles or Hawaii.