United Kingdom Adaptive Optics Programs

Abstract

The UK has a funded, national program underway to design and construct facility (common user) natural guide star (NGS) adaptive optics systems for two telescopes: • The 4.2m William Hershel Telescope (WHT) on La Palma, Canary Islands. • The 3.8m United Kingdom Infrared Telesope (UKIRT) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. These will be locally-supported systems, capable of feeding a number of science instruments, including dedicated AO-optimised imagers and spectrographs. They will be optimised for operation in the near infrared, ~ 2 μm.