Gemini North telescope dome on the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA. The dome of the older Canada- France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) is at lower left. Ge

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Gemini North telescope dome on the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA. The dome of the older Canada- France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) is at lower left. Gemini North was completed in 1999. A twin telescope in Cerro Pachon, Chile, called Gemini South, was opened in 2002. The large lattice structure in the dome is for ventilation. It is opened near sunset to allow rapid equalisation of air temperatures inside and outside the dome. Differences in the temperatures cause turbulence that interferes with the telescope's optics, reducing the quality of the images. The Gemini North telescope has an metre diameter mirror that is controlled by computer to ensure accuracy.

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Size: 5180px × 3421px
Photo credit: © JOHN K. DAVIES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: america, american, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysics, canada-france-hawaii, cfht, dome, domes, gemini, hawaii, horizontal, kea, mauna, north, observatories, observatory, optical, states, telescope, united, usa, vent, ventilation, vents