Visit to the INT

[+Graham]

I have just spent the last week over in La Palma with my better half which culminated in a private visit to the INT and WHT.

This was the second time I had been granted access to these grand scopes the first two years ago was cancelled due to severe storms.

 

Talk about déjà vu.

I awoke on Wednesday morning to the most spectacular sunrise.

 

 

Bearing in mind the old red sky at night saying I knew my visit was going to be in trouble again.

 

I did not know the half of it.

 

Driving up the mountain road with my wife the rain started, by the time we had got to the top the clouds were so thick you could not even see the domes from the access road.

My heart sank as I met up with my guide Javier Mendez Alvarez.

He was amazed I had even arrived as the island authorities had issued a severe weather warning and had closed the mountain road. 

All the observatories had been shut down and the staff moved into the hostel for safety.

 

Despite the orders this marvelous man said as they were still in the process of shutting down the INT he would still give me a look round albeit a whirlwind tour.

Unfortunately a visit to the WHT was out of the question.

 

We drove up to the INT in conditions I can only describe as being inside a washing machine.

The rain was coming at us from every direction possible and the wind was incredible.

We got soaked just getting from the cars to the obs door a distance of no more than twenty feet.

 

I would like to introduce you to the man himself.

This is Javier Mendez Alvarez.

 

 

This guy lives and breathes astronomy.

I could have talked to him all day.

His passion for his work and especially for the INT knows no bounds.

 

We started off in the control room.

Surprisingly it looks exactly like any amateur astronomers control room. 

A couple of computers with monitors.

 

 

Although it is pretty basic at the moment it is about to undergo a complete overhaul on the software side of things.

A completely new Linux software package is being written for the INT which along with a new drive and encoder setup on the scope will improve its performance dramatically and see it into the future.

 

This is the station which controls the scope and the imaging.

 

 

This lot controls the dome.

Measures the weather ect. 

 

 

After an in-depth conversation on the technical side of things I had the chance to look through loads of images taken with the scope.

Images that can only be described as mind blowing but taken using exactly the same procedures as we use ourselves.

Stick a narrow band filter in front of a mono chipped CCD camera and let time do the rest.

 

We then moved out into the dome for a look at the grand old lady.

 

The first thing Javier showed us was the plaques.

You could see the pride oozing from him as he gave them a quick polish.

The INT might be owned by a syndicate but it is definitely and without question his telescope.

 

One amazing fact I learnt is the INT holds the only Nobel prize in Astronomy granted to an optical Telescope (for its work in proving universal expansion) , all the rest have been for theoretical papers. 

 

 

Because of the weather induced lock down the scope was set in its neutral position and could not be moved.

As part of the shutdown procedure the cryo chambers that cool the cameras were being loaded with liquid nitrogen to preserve their low temperature so we had to stay out of the way.

You can see the gas venting under the camera.

I did feel sorry for this lady who was trying to sweep up the resulting snow storm.

 

 

Once this had been done we went for a quick tour of the scope.

The scope is a Newt / Cassegrain type although the Newtonian side of it the secondary mirror is replaced with a wide field camera at prime focus.

At the time the scope was set up in Cassegrain mode with this (above) one off experimental spectrographic camera they are using to capture images of new worlds in the Goldilocks zone of distant stars.

 

 

This is the main wide field camera that is used when it is in Newt mode.

It consists of four chips linked together.

Cooled with Liquid Nitrogen.

It is still attached to the crane they use to lift it in and out of position on the telescope.

 

 

This is the Cassegrain secondary mirror.

The hardware on the top of the ring is where they attach the camera when it is in Newt mode.

 

 

The fork arm assembly is really quite impressive.

The large circular wood covered disc under the fork arm is the Polar disc it all sits on.

The two tubes either side of the trusses are the original finder scopes fitted when the INT was first built as an optical telescope.

 

 

And finally a very bedraggled but extremely contented specimen to give some perspective to the size of this beauty.

 

 

I did have a look at some brilliant images that have recently been taken of the Crab Neb.

These images are going to be part of a new scientific paper that will be published very soon showing a completely unknown abnormality in M1.

So keep an eye out for it. 

 

Then sadly it was all over.

Javier had to leave to collect his daughter from school which was also being closed due to the weather.

 

I cannot thank Javier enough for taking the time and trouble to make our visit a very memorable all be it short occasion.

It will be one of the memories that will stay with me forever.

 

As will the drive back down the mountain.

35 kilometers driving through a car wash with zero visibility howling winds on tiny roads between the side of a mountain and a thousand foot drop.

Because the mountain is an old volcano the rock is prone to giving way once it gets wet hence why they shut the roads.

So along with the unbelievable weather conditions I was also having to negotiate the many many rock falls that partially blocked the road.

Some of these rocks were the size of the car. 

Interesting to say the least.

 

For those that have never been here are a couple of photos of the road and the drops taken on a clear day.

 

 

The road runs along the ridge just below the top of the land mass.

 

 

 

Finally a look down from the side of the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[philjay]

Well done Graham for getting to see the INT despite the weather.

I saw the INT at Herstmonceaux in the 70s before it was packed away and sent on holidays, its a big scope.

[Tweedledee]

Glad you enjoyed your visit. ??

 

Nice report and pictures.

[+Ibbo]

Shame the weather did not behave.

 

[+RonC]

Great report, thanks Graham. Pity about the weather, was that the same day as the storms on Gran Canaria?

Like the photo's..

 

Cheers

Ron

[Bottletopburly]

That’s nearly as big as yours graham ? funny feeling that's your tool bag your holding though ? at least it was a memorable trip ??

[+Bino-viewer]

Fascinating stuff Graham.

Its a place i'd love to visit someday ?

[BAZ]

That's a very enjoyable read Graham, what a great trip you had, rain aside that is.

[Stephen]

Glad you had a great time Graham love to see it my self

[+Graham]

Thanks folks.

It is well worth the visit if you ever get the chance to go.

Ron it was a couple of days after than the Gran Canaria storm.

I will be arranging another trip in the near future so hopefully the weather will oblige by not interfering for a third time. 

[+Bino-viewer]

Society trip please moderators............???  ?