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One of the problems of producing instruments for Extremely Large Telescopes is that their size (and hence cost) scales rapidly with telescope aperture. To try to break this relation alternative new technologies have been proposed, such as…
An approach is demonstrated for comparing the temperature of the upper atmosphere obtained by ground-based and satellite methods. A method for calibrating ground-based instruments (Fabry-Perot interferometer) based on the data obtained and…
Optical spectroscopy plays an essential role across scientific research and industry for non-contact materials analysis1-3, increasingly through in-situ or portable platforms4-6. However, when considering low-light-level applications,…
The next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes (ELT), with diameters up to 39 meters, will start opera- tion in the next decade and promises new challenges in the development of instruments. The growing field of astrophotonics (the use…
As new large-scale astronomical surveys greatly increase the number of objects targeted and discoveries made, the requirement for efficient follow-up observations is crucial. Adaptive optics imaging, which compensates for the image-blurring…
Various structures are visible within Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch instrument (SPHERE) images that are not always straightforward to interpret. In this article we present a review of these features and demonstrate…
The digital revolution is transforming astronomy from a data-starved to a data-submerged science. Instruments such as the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), and the Square Kilometer Array…
Large Fabry-Perot Interferometers are used in a variety of astronomical instrumentation, including spectro-polarimeters for 4-meter class solar telescopes. In this work we comprehensively characterize the cavity of a prototype 150 mm…
We describe and summarize the optical challenges for future instrumentation for Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). Knowing the complex instrumental requirements is crucial for the successful design of 30-60m aperture telescopes. After all,…
LOFAR is a new and sensitive radio interferometer that can be used for dynamic high-resolution imaging spectroscopy at low radio frequencies from 10 to 90 and 110 to 250 MHz. Here we describe its usage for observations of the Sun and in…
Next generation high contrast imaging instruments face a challenging trade off: they will be required to deliver data with high spectral resolution at a relatively fast cadence (minutes) and across a wide field of view (arcseconds). For…
Long-exposure spectro-polarimetry in the near-infrared is a preferred method to measure the magnetic field and other physical properties of solar prominences. In the past, it has been very difficult to observe prominences in this way with…
The observations of solar photosphere from the ground encounter significant problems due to the presence of Earth's turbulent atmosphere. Prior to applying image reconstruction techniques, the frames obtained in most favorable atmospheric…
The next generation of ground-based gravitational-wave interferometers is expected to generate a bounty of new astrophysical discoveries, with sensitivities and bandwidths greatly improved compared to current-generation detectors. These…
The far-IR spectral window plays host to a wide range of both spectroscopic and photometric diagnostics with which to open the protoplanetary disks and exoplanet research to wavelengths completely blocked by the Earth's atmosphere. These…
The constant improvement of astronomical instrumentation provides the foundation for scientific discoveries. In general, these improvements have only implications forward in time, while previous observations do not benefit from this trend.…
We describe a new spectrophotometer for the Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network (BiSON), based on a next generation observation platform, BiSON:NG, a significantly miniaturised system making use of inexpensive consumer-grade hardware and…
In a few years, the second generation instruments of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) will routinely provide observations with 4 to 6 telescopes simultaneously. To reach their ultimate performance, they will need a fringe…
The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) entered on-sky commissioning phase, and had its First Light at the Gemini South telescope in November 2013. Meanwhile, the fast loops for atmospheric correction of the Extreme Adaptive Optics (XAO) system have…
An inert sphere of a few meters diameter, placed in a special stable geosynchronous orbit in perpetuo, can be used for a variety of scientific experiments. Ground-based observations of such a sphere, "GeoSphere", can resolve very difficult…