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The ARC 3.5-meter telescope

Inside the 3.5m dome

This telescope is not actually part of the Sloan Survey. The construction of this 3.5-meter telescope was the first project taken on by the Astrophysical Research Consortium. It is a multi-purpose telescope designed specifically to support remote observing by astronomers on the Internet. Unlike most reflector telescopes with two mirrors, the 3.5-meter has an additional flat tertiary mirror that reflects light to the observing instruments. This design allows observers to rapidly switch among as many as nine different instruments.

3.5 at twilight