Víctor M. Blanco Telescope

The Víctor M. Blanco Telescope, also known as the Blanco 4m, is a 4-metre aperture telescope located at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile. Commissioned in 1974 and completed in 1976,[1] the telescope is identical to the Mayall 4m telescope located on Kitt Peak.[2][3][4] In 1995 it was dedicated and named in honour of Puerto Rican astronomer Víctor Manuel Blanco.[5] It was the largest optical telescope in the Southern hemisphere from 1976 until 1998, when the first 8-metre telescope of the ESO Very Large Telescope opened.

Víctor M. Blanco Telescope

Víctor M. Blanco Telescope
Alternative names	Victor M. Blanco Telescope
Named after	Víctor Manuel Blanco
Part of	Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Dark Energy Survey
Location(s)	Chile
Coordinates	30°10′11″S 70°48′24″W
Organization	National Optical Astronomy Observatory
Altitude	2,207 m (7,241 ft)
Built	1974 –1976  (1974 –1976 )
First light	1976
Telescope style	optical telescope reflecting telescope Ritchey–Chrétien telescope
Diameter	4,022.9 mm (13 ft 2.38 in)
Collecting area	10.014 m^2 (107.79 sq ft)
Enclosure	Spherical dome
Website	www.ctio.noao.edu/noao/content/Victor-Blanco-4-m-Telescope
Location of Víctor M. Blanco Telescope
Related media on Wikimedia Commons

Currently the main research instrument used at the telescope is the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), the camera used in the Dark Energy Survey. DECam saw its first light in September 2012.[6][7]

The Mosaic II camera was used at this CTIO 4-m telescope in the southern hemisphere since 1999.[8] This was a development of the KNPO Mosaic camera was installed in 1998 in the northern hemisphere.[8] These camera's were used for various astronomical surveys, and were noted for their success.[8]

Largest optical astronomical telescopes in 1976

#	Name / Observatory	Image	Aperture	M1 Area	Altitude	First Light	Special advocate
1.	BTA-6 (Special Astrophysical Obs)		238 inch 605 cm	26 m^2	2,070 m (6,790 ft)	1975	Mstislav Keldysh
2.	Hale Telescope (Palomar Observatory)		200 inch 508 cm	20 m^2	1,713 m (5,620 ft)	1949	George Ellery Hale
3.	Mayall Telescope (Kitt Peak National Obs.)		158 inch 401 cm	10 m^2	2,120 m (6,960 ft)	1973	Nicholas Mayall
4.	Víctor M. Blanco Telescope (CTIO Observatory)		158 inch 401 cm	10 m^2	2,200 m (7,200 ft)	1976	Nicholas Mayall
5.	Anglo-Australian Telescope (Siding Spring Observatory)		153 inch 389 cm	12 m^2	1,742 m (5,715 ft)	1974	Prince Charles
6.	ESO 3.6 m Telescope (La Silla Observatory)		140 inch 357 cm	8.8 m^2	2,400 m (7,900 ft)	1976	Adriaan Blaauw
7.	Shane Telescope (Lick Observatory)		120 inch 305 cm	~7 m^2	1,283 m (4,209 ft)	1959	Nicholas Mayall

See also

• List of largest optical reflecting telescopes
• List of astronomical observatories
• List of largest optical telescopes in the 20th century

References

1. Great Telescopes. (2003). In Atlas of the Universe. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/philipsuniverse/great_telescopes
2. Freeman, Ira Henry (October 28, 1979). "An Astronomical Journey in Arizona". The New York Times (Late City ed.). p. 377. ISSN 0362-4331.
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2009-10-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. Gregory, B; Abbott, T (July 22, 2008), The Blanco 4m Telescope, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
5. "Brief History of THE CERRO TOLOLO INTER-AMERICAN OBSERVATORY". Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
6. Dark Energy Camera and Dark Energy Survey:photos, videos & graphics fnal.gov
7. Berkeley Lab sensors enable first light for the dark energy camera phys.org Retrieved 2012-09-18
8. Dey, Arjun; Valdes, Francisco (2014-03-01). "The Delivered Image Quality with the MOSAIC Cameras at the Kitt Peak 4 m Mayall and Cerro Tololo 4 m Blanco Telescopes". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 126 (937): 296. doi:10.1086/675808. ISSN 1538-3873.