New WHIRC for a 3.5-Meter Telescope The WIYN High-resolution InfraRed Camera

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New WHIRC for a 3.5-Meter TelescopeThe WIYN
High-resolution InfraRed Camera

• Matthew S. Povich
• UW Space Place
• 11 March 2008

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1. What is infrared?
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The Center of the Milky Way Galaxy
2. Why use infrared for Astronomy? (Hint Dust
is everywhere in the Universe!)
Visible light
Near-infrared light
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M17Omega Nebula
Visible-light image (Palomar Observatory Sky
Survey)
Near-infrared image (Two-Micron All-Sky Survey
2MASS)
J 1.2 µm H 1.6 µm K 2.2 µm
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The WHIRC Team...
Margaret Meixner (Principal Investigator) Space
Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD Ed
Churchwell (Scientific PI) University of
WisconsinMadison
Ryan Doering John W. Mackenty Bill Ditsler Bob
Marshall Buell Jannuzi Charles Corson Dave
Mills Dick Joyce George Jacoby Gregg Scharfstein
Jeff Percival Joe Orndoff Mark Hunten Maureen
Ellis Mike Regan Nick Buchholz Patricia
Knezek Peter Moore Robert Barkhouser Ron George
Stephen Smee Steve Howell Todd Miller
3. What makes WHIRC special?
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WIYN 3.5-Meter Telescope

• WIYN
• Wisconsin
• Indiana
• Yale
• NOAO
• National
• Optical
• Astronomy
• Observatory
• WHIRC is a triplynested acronym!

www.wiyn.org
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Mirror Actuators
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Margaret and Edwith WHIRC
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Temperature ControlCamera and Telescope
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WHIRC on WIYN!
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NGC 891 Edge-On Spiral GalaxyTwo Views from WIYN
Visible-light image 3.5 hours exposure
WHIRC image 0.5 hour exposure
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A Globular Cluster in the Galactic Disk
The meaning of high-resolution.
2MASS
WHIRC
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NGC 7027 Planetary nebula
He I 1.08 µm Full WHIRC field-of-view
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He I 1.08 µm
H 1.65 µm
Ks 2.12 µm
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NGC 7027 WIYN vs. Hubble
WIYN/WHIRC
HST/NICMOS

• Advantage of Space-Based Astronomy
• Hubble is a 2.4-meter telescope, while WIYN is a
  3.5-meter telescope!
• Cost of Space-Based Astronomy
• Hubble 1.5 billion originally (1990), 300
  million for Shuttle servicing mission
• WIYN 14 million originally (1994), WHIRC cost
  1.6 million to build.
• The best is yet to come for WHIRC and WIYN!

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Summary

• What is infrared?
• Segment of the electromagnetic spectrum with
  wavelengths just longer than visible light
  infrared literally means below red.
• Why is infrared useful to astronomers?
• Infrared light penetrates dust, and dust is
  everywhere in the Universe.
• Observe dust structures that are otherwise
  invisible, like planet-forming disks around young
  stars.
• Measure redshifts of the most distant galaxies.
• What is special about WHIRC?
• High resolution and good sensitivity for a
  ground-based detector.
• Smallest camera ever built with these
  capabilities.
• Value for money 1.6 million is actually very
  inexpensive for a state-of-the-art astronomical
  instrument!