An Infrared Camera for Leuschner Observatory and the Berkeley Undergraduate Astronomy Lab

Abstract

We describe the design, fabrication, and operation of an infrared camera which is in use at the 30-inch telescope of the Leuschner Observatory. The camera is based on a Rockwell PICNIC 256 x 256 pixel HgCdTe array, which is sensitive from 0.9-2.5 micron. The primary purpose of this telescope is for undergraduate instruction. The cost of the camera has been minimized by using commercial parts whereever practical. The camera optics are based on a modified Offner relay which forms a cold pupil where stray thermal radiation from the telescope is baffled. A cold, six-position filter wheel is driven by a cryogenic stepper motor, thus avoiding any mechanical feed throughs. The array control and readout electronics are based on standard PC cards; the only custom component is a simple interface card which buffers the clocks and amplifies the analog signals from the array.