Overview
The Wide-Field Camera for the Isaac Newton Telescope (WFC for INT) comprises a science array of four Loral CCD's, plus a fifth acting as autoguider. A filter wheel with six positions is provided.Geometric Layout
Notes from the commissioning team
Readout speeds
Autoguider Sensitivity
Starting the system
Filter operations
Focusing the WFC
Target catalogues
Automatic prediction of guider-star positions
Recovering from major errors
Geometric Layout
Each chip is 2048x2048 pixels, each pixel 15 microns, giving a scale at INT prime focus of 0.37". The chips are geometrically similar to the single Ford chip previously used at INT prime (an example 160k image of M33).
- The chips are not butted, hence to cover a contiguous are of sky it is necessary to make multiple exposures.
- The optical axis, and hence the nominal pointing position of the telescope, is in the central gap.
- Half the autoguider chip is used as a frame-transfer buffer, enabling rapid autoguider readout. The area available for guide stars is therefore ~12.5'x7'.