Abstract Details

Name: Prashanth kumar Kasarla
Affiliation: Physical Research Laboratory
Conference ID: ASI2020_559
Title : PRL's 50cm telescope: Old wine in a new bottle!
Authors and Co-Authors : Prashanth Kasarla, Satya Narain Mathur, Pitamber S Patwal, Deekshya Roy Sarkar, Alka Singh, Prachi Prajapati, Archita Rai, Kumar Venkataramani, Aravind Krishnakumar, Amish Shah, Shashikiran Ganesh, Kiran S Baliyan
Abstract Type : Poster
Abstract Category : Instrumentation and Techniques
Abstract : PRL's 50cm Automated Telescope for Variability Studies (ATVS) has been in operation at Mount Abu since 2010. With the initiation of the construction of PRL's 2.5 m telescope buildings, we moved this telescope from its old housing to a new site on the same campus. In this contribution we shall highlight the design and construction of the new building and dome which were built in Ahmedabad by private industry. The building is constructed on a 5m X 10m concrete platform. The Telescope Pier is isolated from the concrete platform and the telescope building to reduce the vibrations. The building is made up of prefabricated cement sheets on a light steel structure skeletal framing. The dome with a single shutter panel is made from fibre glass. It has a rack-and-pinion type drive mechanism for dome rotation and a sprocket wheel chain mechanism for shutter. Telescope operations have resumed at the new location.