The QUEST CCD Camera

  
 

We have designed, constructed and put into operation a large area CCD camera that covers a large fraction of the image plane of the 1 meter Schmidt telescope at Llano del Hato in Venezuela.  The camera consists of 16 CCD devices arranged in a 4 X 4 mosaic covering
2.3 3.5 of sky.  The CCDs are 2048 X 2048 LORAL devices with 15 pixels.  The camera is optimized for drift scan
photometry and objective prism spectroscopy.  The design considerations, construction features and performance parameters are described in the following article.
 

layout of ccd
Layout of the CCD's on the image plane.  Also shown are the Invar fingers
supporting the CCD's, their pivot points, and the finger-rotating cams.

 
 
 
Properties of the QUEST Camera

 
Parameter Value
 
Array size, CCDs 4 x 4
For each CCD:
Pixel size
 15 x 15 µm
Number of pixels
 2048 x 2048
Pixel size on sky
 1" x 1"
Array size, pixels 8192 x 8192
Array size, cm 12.6 x  18.2 
Array size, on sky 2o3 x 3o5
Effective area 5.4 deg2

A detailed description of this camera can be found in a recent article "A Large Area CCD Camera for the Schmidt Teleslcope at the Venezuelan National Astronomical Observatory", PASP 114, 797 (2002).