The Big Bear Solar Observatory New Solar Telescope - One of the two largest aperture Solar telescopes in the world

The Big Bear Solar Observatory is operated by the New Jersey Science and Technology University (NJIT - New Jersey Institute of Technology):
http://www.bbso.njit.edu/

My many thanks to Claude Plymate for showing me this wonderful instrument.

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I refer to Cao et al. 2010:
http://solar.njit.edu/preprints/cao1454.pdf
for a description of the Scientific Instrumentation

Additional papers at:
http://www.bbso.njit.edu/nst_instr.html

Image Gallery:
http://www.bbso.njit.edu/nst_gallery.html
AR NOAA 11109 observed with the NST/TiO imager on Sept 27, 2011
http://www.bbso.njit.edu/gallery/nst_tio_20100927_172539.jpg

click images for full size view

1.6 meter primary mirror backside, with support cell mechanical actuators partially visible.

The Telescope is an off-axis Gregorian Instrument

Power dispersing assembly at the primary focus
Movable counter weight with motor in the tube to the right
Polarizers
Second of a series of mirrors steering the light beam to the adaptive optics bench in the lower floor

Adaptive optics bench of the Shack-Hartmann system

The adaptive mirror currently has 97 actuators

About half of the control room displays

Adaptive optics graphics display

Adaptive optics digital display

H alpha Observer Tool

New Solar Telescope Main graphical Interface