Iranian National Observatory is the first major endeavor in the field of fundamental sciences. The project aims to establish an astronomical observatory equipped with a medium-sized optical telescope for conducting astronomical and cosmological research and developing relevant technologies.
Iranian National Observatory Perspective
3.4 Meter Telescope
The INO telescope, with a primary mirror diameter of 3.4 meters, is of the Ritchey-Chrétien optical type with a Cassegrain configuration based on an altitude-azimuth mount. Observations of unknown entities, galaxies, and stars can be conducted with an accuracy of 0.2 arcsecond. The telescope’s field of view is 20 arcminutes, and within this field, it has an image resolution better than 0.7 arcseconds (FWHM).
Enclosure
The INO enclosure consists of an octagonal structure with an outer diameter of 16 meters and a height of 22 meters. The telescope enclosure and dome are equipped with the latest technical facilities.
Observation facilities
The observatory includes a services building, a control room, a coating hall, a site monitoring system (monitoring station), and a wild-field Lens array system (Hunter), along with an observer guest house near the village of Kamo. Other observational facilities, including a 1-meter telescope, are also anticipated.
Wild-field Lens Array System (INOLA)
This system is an array consisting of several lenses designed specifically for studying celestial objects with low surface brightness in the visible wavelength range.
Site Monitoring
Site monitoring station consists of three sections: automatic astronomical seeing monitoring facility (Auto_DIMM), an all-sky camera, and a weather station. The station is located 500 meters away from the main peak, and its data is accessible here.