Magdalena Ridge Observatory

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Magdalena Ridge Observatory
Organization	Office of Naval Research (ONR) Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Location	Socorro County, New Mexico
Coordinates	33°58′36″N, 107°11′05″W
Altitude	10,600 feet (3180 meters)
Webpage	www.mro.nmt.edu
Telescopes
Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer	Array of up to ten 1.4-meter optical telescopes on a 400-meter baseline
2.4-Meter Telescope	Single 2.4-meter optical telescope, specializing in Near-Earth Objects (NEO) and rapid tracking applications

Magdalena Ridge Observatory (MRO) is an astronomical observatory in Socorro County, New Mexico about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of the town of Socorro off at the exit for Water Canyon U.S. 60. The observatory is located near the summit of South Baldy Mountain adjacent to Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research in the Magdalena Mountains at an elevation of 10,600 feet (3180 meters). When completed the site will house two main facilities, an optical interferometer and a single 2.4-meter telescope. Magdalena Ridge Observatory is an international scientific collaboration between the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and the Naval Research Laboratory.

1 Interferometer
2 2.4-meter SINGLE Telescope
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Interferometer

The Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer will consist of an array of up to ten 1.4-meter telescopes whose images will be optically combined resulting in angular resolution that simulates that of a telescope 400 meters in diameter. The telescopes are being manufactured by Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems of Belgium. Principal construction of the Interferometer's laboratory, office, and technical facilities were completed spring 2008 and first light is expected in 2009-2010.

[edit] 2.4-meter SINGLE Telescope

The 2.4-meter telescope is capable of slew rates of 10 degrees per second allowing it to be used to observe objects in low-Earth orbit. The telescope will also be used for asteroid studies and observations of other solar system objects.^[1] Construction on the 2.4-meter telescope is nearing completion and first light was achieved on October 31, 2006. The 2.4m facility will undergo completion work and commissioning for most of 2007.