Credit: UCLA Galactic Center Group
On the left is an image of the Galactic Center
using the current Keck II LGS AO. On the right is a simulation of what
the new system will capture. The new 20-watt, continuous wave laser will
increase the coupling efficiency by more than 15 times and improve the
relative Strehl ratio by a factor of 1.5 to 2.5. Credit: TMT/UCLA/WMKO. Hi-Res Image
Kamuela, Hawaii – The W. M. Keck Observatory has successfully completed a $4 million campaign that will give astronomers the most detailed Adaptive Optics images of the cosmos ever created by mankind. Furthermore, the campaign was funded entirely by private philanthropy.
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the W. M. Keck Foundation and
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation awarded three grants totaling
$3.7 million to significantly upgrade the Keck II Laser Guide Star
Adaptive Optics (LGS AO) system. The balance of the campaign came from
individual gifts from Friends of the Keck Observatory.
“We’re thrilled to support the Keck II Laser Guide Star Adaptive
Optics, because we believe in the inherent value of science and the
importance of basic research,” said Cyndi Atherton, Program Director for
Science at the Moore Foundation. “Upgrading the Keck II instruments
will help us answer — and even think of new ways to ask — fascinating
and significant questions about our universe and the place we occupy
within it.”
“Ever since Galileo, astronomers have been building bigger telescopes
to collect more light to observe more distant objects,” said Peter
Wizinowich, who leads the Adaptive Optics development at Keck
Observatory. “In theory, the larger the telescope, the more detail you
can see. However, because of the blurring caused by Earth’s atmosphere, a
10-inch or a 10-meter telescope sees about the same amount of detail.”
One rather expensive solution to this problem is to put a telescope
in space. Another solution is to remove the atmospheric distortion using
AO.
Keck Observatory, which operates the two biggest telescopes in the
world, has been a prime innovator in the field of AO, currently
delivering images three to four times sharper than the Hubble Space
Telescope. Keck commissioned the first large Laser Guide Star (LGS) AO
system on Keck II in 2004. It is the most productive LGS AO system in
astrophysics, responsible for 70 percent of the refereed-science papers
using laser AO published to date, revealing unprecedented details within
our solar system, our galaxy, and beyond.
“In its Science and Engineering Research Program, the W. M. Keck
Foundation has long focused on supporting cutting-edge research and the
development of new technologies that may lead to breakthrough
achievements in a particular field,” said Robert Day, Chairman of the W.
M. Keck Foundation. “The Keck Foundation is pleased to make this award
to the Keck Observatory in recognition of its outstanding work in the
field of astronomy.”
The current LGS AO system on the Keck II Telescope projects a
13-Watt, pulsed dye laser beam to excite sodium atoms in the mesosphere,
90 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. Those excited sodium atoms
couple with the laser photons and fluoresce — creating an artificial
guide star — which is used to measure and remove the turbulence of
Earth’s atmosphere, sharpening images by up to a factor of 20.
The new laser, designed with the collaboration of the European
Southern Observatory (ESO), TOPTICA Photonics AG and MPB Communications
Inc., is a state-of-the-art, 20-watt, continuous wave laser that will
increase the coupling efficiency over the current laser by more than 15
times and improve the relative Strehl ratio by a factor of about two.
“Since time began, humans have stared into the night sky wondering
what is out there,” said Bob Parsons, who, together with his wife Renee,
founded The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “The Keck Observatory
is a world leader in its field and this important upgrade will enable
them to continue answering those questions for generations to come.”
Keck Observatory’s LGS AO system was instrumental in UCLA astronomer
Andrea Ghez’s pioneering work in characterizing the super-massive black
hole and several important stars in the center of our galaxy, which
earned her the coveted Crafoord Prize in Astronomy in 2012.
The new laser will be commissioned in mid-2015 and is the cornerstone of the Next Generation Adaptive Optics program.
Many lines of research will make critical advances with the new LGS AO system, including:
• The study of brown dwarfs and low-mass stars, which are blurring the line between planets and stars;
• More precise measurements of stars orbiting closest to the Galactic Center’s super-massive black hole;
• Improved determination of the origins of gamma ray bursts and supernovae in extragalactic science; and
• A closer look at objects within our solar system in areas of research where Keck has already contributed, including weather aberrations on Uranus, and Kuiper Belt Objects like Eris, which led to the demotion of Pluto from planet to dwarf planet.
• The study of brown dwarfs and low-mass stars, which are blurring the line between planets and stars;
• More precise measurements of stars orbiting closest to the Galactic Center’s super-massive black hole;
• Improved determination of the origins of gamma ray bursts and supernovae in extragalactic science; and
• A closer look at objects within our solar system in areas of research where Keck has already contributed, including weather aberrations on Uranus, and Kuiper Belt Objects like Eris, which led to the demotion of Pluto from planet to dwarf planet.
“This is the first time private philanthropy will fund an instrument
project for us in its entirety,” said Taft Armandroff, Director of the
W. M. Keck Observatory. “They clearly see the value putting their
resources into the Keck Observatory, and for that, we are delighted.” A
combination of federal grants and private support fund most of the
technology enhancements to the Observatory.
“The generous donations from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation,
the W. M. Keck Foundation and The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation
come as we are poised to celebrate the Observatory’s 20th Anniversary
this month,” said Debbie Goodwin, Director of Advancement for the W. M.
Keck Observatory. “Hundreds of Keck’s supporters will be traveling to
the Big Island from around the world to participate in Keck Week 2013.
We are thrilled to have this opportunity to publicly thank
representatives from these foundations and provide everyone with a look
at what exciting science lies ahead with this new capability.”
For past news on this campaign, click here.
About the W.M. Keck Observatory:
The W. M. Keck Observatory operates the two biggest and most scientifically productive telescopes on Earth. The twin 10-meter optical/infrared telescopes located on the summit of Mauna Kea on the Island of Hawaii, feature a world-leading suite of advanced instruments including imagers, multi-object spectrographs, high-resolution spectrographs, integral-field spectroscopy and a laser guide star adaptive optics system. The Observatory is a private 501(c) 3 non-profit organization and a scientific partnership of the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and NASA. For more information, please visit http://www.keckobservatory.org.
The W. M. Keck Observatory operates the two biggest and most scientifically productive telescopes on Earth. The twin 10-meter optical/infrared telescopes located on the summit of Mauna Kea on the Island of Hawaii, feature a world-leading suite of advanced instruments including imagers, multi-object spectrographs, high-resolution spectrographs, integral-field spectroscopy and a laser guide star adaptive optics system. The Observatory is a private 501(c) 3 non-profit organization and a scientific partnership of the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and NASA. For more information, please visit http://www.keckobservatory.org.
About the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation:
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, established in 2000, seeks to advance environmental conservation, scientific research, and patient care. For more information, please visit http://www.moore.org.
About the W. M. Keck Foundation:
Based in Los Angeles, the W. M. Keck Foundation was established in 1954 by the late W. M. Keck, founder of the Superior Oil Company. The Foundation’s grant making is focused primarily on pioneering efforts in the areas of medical research, science and engineering and undergraduate education. The Foundation also maintains a Southern California Grant Program that provides support for the Los Angeles community, with a special emphasis on children and youth. For more information, visit http://www.wmkeck.org.
About The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation:
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation inspires hope by providing critical funding at critical times to communities and organizations striving to make a difference. For more information, please visit http://www.tbrpf.org
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation inspires hope by providing critical funding at critical times to communities and organizations striving to make a difference. For more information, please visit http://www.tbrpf.org
Media Contact:
Steve Jefferson
Communications Officer, Advancement
W.M. Keck Observatory
sjefferson@keck.hawaii.edu
(808)881-3827
Steve Jefferson
Communications Officer, Advancement
W.M. Keck Observatory
sjefferson@keck.hawaii.edu
(808)881-3827
