 | |
| Alternative names | the 90-inch |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | Arizona |
| Coordinates | 31°57′46″N111°36′00″W / 31.9629°N 111.6°W /31.9629; -111.6 |
| Altitude | 6,900 ft (2,100 m) |
| Diameter | 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) |
  Location of Bok Telescope | |
 Related media on Commons | |
TheBok Telescope (also known asthe 90-inch) is the largest telescope operated solely bySteward Observatory. It finds much use from astronomers fromUniversity of Arizona,Arizona State University, andNorthern Arizona University, with instruments capable of both imaging andspectroscopy.[1] The telescope operates year-round, except during the August summer-shutdown when maintenance is performed while the weather is poor (Arizona'smonsoon season lasts from roughly July through August).
The Bok Telescope was named after the prolific astronomer and director of Steward Observatory from 1966–1969,Bart Bok, one of the most beloved astronomers in Tucson. It was used on March 18, 2007 by Bruno Sicardy to viewPluto's occultation of a star inSagittarius.[2] The building itself features a very long spiral staircase leading to the telescope and a balcony called "The Bok Walk".
In the 2010s the Bok telescope helped support a survey with KNPO telescopes in preparation for theDESI instrument on the 4-m Mayall telescope.[3] The Bok telescope was used along with the 90 Prime imager to take g-band and r-band observations.[3]
There are currently 3 instruments that are mainly used at the 90-inch, two that work in theoptical and one in thenear-IR. The90prime instrument, whose principal investigator isEdward Olszewski, is a prime focus, wide-field imager capable of imaging 1 square degree on the sky, while theB&C Spectrograph does spectroscopy. TheSteward 256x256 NIR Camera, which has been available at the telescope since 1991,[4] uses a NICMOS array which was built during the development of the NICMOS instrument on theHST. The 90-inch is also fitted with an eyepiece for direct viewing by a human observer, uncharacteristic for telescopes of this size.[1]
