Documentation

The MRO 30" is an f/13.5 telescope with achromatic focal reducing optics mounted approximately one inch behind the Cassegrain focus to create an effective focal ratio f/6.7. The focal reducing optics are optimized for the wavelength range of 3650-8520 Å. The field of view using Evora, our imaging CCD, is 8 x 8 arcminutes with a plate scale (using the default 2 x 2 binning) of 0.93 "/pixel.

• Evora, the science camera

• Bifrost, the telescope control software

• the Telescope Server (runs the filter wheel)

• and the (Xbox) Dome Paddle

Common Tasks

• Focusing

Calibration Images

Typical calibration images are presented and analyzed here (thanks to the 2018 Astro 481 class!):

• Darks

• Flats

• Stability of Biases, Darks, and Flats

IRAF Guidelines

Based closely on the very fine documentation available here: iraf.noao.edu/docs/. The most relevant have been converted to pdf and posted below:

• CCD_Reductions_with_IRAF.pdf

• Photometry_with_IRAF.pdf

• Reducing_Slit_Spectra_with_IRAF.pdf

You may also find The Zen of IRAF helpful, especially as it's "only" thirteen years out of date!