Instrument Host Overview
       ========================
         The information in this document was taken from
         the WIYN Observatory website:
 
               http://www.noao.edu/wiyn/
 
         on July 17, 2006.
 
         The WIYN Telescope, a 3.5-meter instrument is the second largest
         telescope on Kitt Peak. The WIYN Observatory (pronounced 'win')
         is owned and operated by the WIYN Consortium, which consists of
         the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University,
         and the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO). This
         partnership between public and private universities and NOAO
         is the first of its kind. The universities benefit from access
         to a well-run observatory at an excellent site, and the larger
         astronomical community served by NOAO benefits from the addition
         of this large telescope to Kitt Peak's array of telescopes.
 
         A comparison of the WIYN telescope, completed in 1994, with
         the 4-meter Mayall telescope, completed in 1973, demonstrates
         how innovative technology can be applied to telescope design.
         The WIYN telescope enclosure is a fraction of the size of the
         Mayall telescope dome, due both to the short focal length of
         the primary mirror, which results in a shorter telescope, and
         the Altitude-Azimuth mount which requires less space.
         The moving weight of the Mayall telescope is 375 tons, while
         the WIYN telescope, with a primary mirror only slightly
         smaller in diameter, weighs only 46 tons.
 
         The smaller structure reduces the cost of the facility, and
         modern technology continually improves performance.
 
         The mirrors in the WIYN telescope are capable of producing
         much sharper images than the larger 4-meter Mayall mirror.
         The WIYN mount, optics supports, thermal controls and
         enclosure are all designed to minimize degradation of the
         telescope image quality by the atmosphere.
 
         Other innovative features incorporated into the WIYN telescope
         design are active primary mirror supports, primary mirror
         thermal controls, and active ventilation of the telescope
         mount. The support system for the primary mirror includes
         66 actuators, which push or pull on the back face of the mirror
         to maintain the best optical figure. The primary mirror thermal
         control system can maintain the temperature of the surface of
         the mirror to within 0.2 degrees Celsius of the ambient air
         temperature, eliminating mirror seeing, which is caused by
         turbulence in cool air over a warmer mirror surface. An open
         telescope chamber maintains the entire observatory at the
         night time air temperature. Optical tests indicate that all
         of these innovations in design have enabled the WIYN
         telescope to produce much sharper images than any of
         the other telescopes on Kitt Peak.
 
         The mirror cell (mechanical support structure) and the complex
         support and thermal control systems were developed and provided
         by NOAO.
 
         WIYN is equipped instruments for astronomical spectroscopy
         and imaging. Such as, multiple object spectrograph employing
         optical fibers allows the simultaneous observation of the
         spectra of 100 objects. The imaging cameras employ highly
         sensitive arrays of electronic detectors.
 
       Location
       ========
         Coordinates of WIYN, taken from JPL HORIZONS SYSTEM
 
               Longitude:     248.40533 Degrees
               Latitude:       31.95838 Degrees
               Altitude:     2064.2     Meters