Carnegie telescope
Encyclopedia
The Carnegie telescope is a 20 inches (508 mm) twin reflector telescope located at Lick Observatory
in California
, USA.
The Carnegie 20 inches (508 mm) twin refractor is located in a mid-sized dome at the observatory
. Because the Carnegie is actually two 20 inches (508 mm) telescopes, side by side on a single mount, it looks more like a large set of very long binoculars
rather than a telescope. One side is designed to photograph
blue light
and the other yellow light.
The Carnegie was built expressly to measure the motions of as many star
s as possible in our local area of the Milky Way
. Called the Lick Proper Motion Survey, the Carnegie’s mission was to photograph the entire night sky twice; once in the 1950’s and again 20 years later. By comparing both sets of photographs, much was learned about the motion of stars and the structure of our galaxy
. The Carnegie is not used today except when photographs of a wide area of the sky are needed.
Lick Observatory
The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. It is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, USA...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA.
The Carnegie 20 inches (508 mm) twin refractor is located in a mid-sized dome at the observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
. Because the Carnegie is actually two 20 inches (508 mm) telescopes, side by side on a single mount, it looks more like a large set of very long binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars, field glasses or binocular telescopes are a pair of identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, allowing the viewer to use both eyes when viewing distant objects...
rather than a telescope. One side is designed to photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
blue light
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
and the other yellow light.
The Carnegie was built expressly to measure the motions of as many star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s as possible in our local area of the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
. Called the Lick Proper Motion Survey, the Carnegie’s mission was to photograph the entire night sky twice; once in the 1950’s and again 20 years later. By comparing both sets of photographs, much was learned about the motion of stars and the structure of our galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
. The Carnegie is not used today except when photographs of a wide area of the sky are needed.