Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network

The network expansion continues. Earlier this week Faulkes Telescope North was joined by 2 smaller telescopes, installed inside the Haleakala observatory enclosure as can be seen in the images. You can just make out the 2 small black tubes next to FTN.

Mark Elphick (Haleakala LCOGT site manager) and Brian Haworth (IT leader) installed both 0.4m telescopes. It involved lifting over 600 lb of telescope 10 feet in the air, without crane or forklift, just brute strength.  read more »

The Sedgwick telescope has now had first light at its site.  The telescope is not robotically controllable yet and does not have a full set of instrumentation installed or commissioned on it. This trip was was to check and calibrate the optics on a dark sky, before commissioning can continue.  read more »