Here, we’ll try to list what we know about the current status of the refurbished Baker-Nunns around the world. If you have different information feel free to correct us so that we can keep up-to-date with the current status.
Automated Patrol Telescope – University of New South Wales, Australia
Status: CCD camera being upgraded with larger chip
Objectives: Extra-solar planets
Description: Originally stationed at Woomera, this camera was donated to the UNSW in 1982 and then refurbished in 1993/94 at Siding Springs Observatory. The field was flattened by refiguring the corrector and adding a field flattening lens and filters close to the CCD chip.
Phoenix – USAF at Maui
Status: Down for repairs?
Objectives: Space Surveillance
Description: We’re not sure whether this camera was originally stationed at Maui. We found a reference stating that it was part of a lot of 4 cameras that were sold at government auction. 1 of these is still in private hands, 1 is at the Evergreen Air & Space Museum, and 1 was lost to fire, and the one at Maui completes the quartet. A single-element field flattening lens (plano-convex) was used as the optical window on a camera containing a 4kx4k 15um back-illuminated CCD chip. The field of view is an incredible 6.8deg x 6×8 deg!
Rothney Astrophysical Observatory – Priddis, Alberta, Canada
Status: Functional
Objectives: High ecliptic latitude near-Earth objects, variable stars
Description: This is one of the 3 cameras that were built for the US Air Force. It was stationed at Cold Lake AFB in Alberta, Canada before the University of Calgary acquired it in 1981. Refurbishment took place between 2000 and 2003. The original mount was re-configured and a 2-element field flattener and corrector were designed so that the large corrector optics could be left untouched. The CCD camera is an FLI IMG16801.
Telescope Fabra/ROA Montsec – Spain
Status: Functional
Objectives: Extrasolar planets, space surveillance
Description: The TFRM was originally sited at San Fernando, Spain. Originally an SAO camera, the mount refurb was styled after that at UNSW. The optical design is similar to the Calgary design but with more stringent requirements on acceptable aberrations. The TFRM is equipped with an FLI ProLine PL16803 CCD camera.
Aries – India
Status: Currently being refurbished
Objectives:
Description: We know very little about this refurbishment.