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Article: Optical encoder aims for the stars.(telescopes equipped with encoders from Heidenhain Corp.)
- Article from:
- Design News
- Article date:
- September 6, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. (US). This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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If you've ever gone out stargazing with a telescope, you know that pointing it on the area that you want to observe requires patience and precision. Now, imagine accomplishing that same task with a multi-ton telescope 8 m in diameter, and you have an idea of the magnitude of the challenge facing a new optical encoder.
A pair of such 8m-diameter behemoths is being outfitted with Heidenhain ERA 780/880 tape encoders. The giant observing tools are being installed on mountain tops in Hawaii and Chile to provide astronomers with clear views of the night skies in both northern and southern hemispheres. Installation will be completed by next year.
The ERA ...