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GHOST - the newest spectrograph for the 8m Gemini South telescope

with John Pazder

Abstract

Spectrographs are one of the key instruments astronomers use to unlock the mysteries of the universe. With these amazing instruments astronomers can determine what stars are made of, how hot they are and how fast they are moving just from the starlight. Not only that, but the age and history of the universe can be determined by studying many stars with spectrographs. Engineers and sciences at the DAO have been working to design and build a new spectrograph for the 8m Gemini telescope called GHOST ( the Gemini High-resolution Optical Spectrograph ). This spectrograph was just installed in May of this year after 10 years of work. The spectrograph, built in Victoria, is now the most sensitive spectrograph in the world in its class. You will learn how this was built in Victoria and then delivered to the Gemini South Telescope on a 9000 foot mountain in the Andes and what we will learn about the universe using this special instrument.

Bio

John Pazder is a world expert in optics for astronomical instruments and telescopes in the instrument group at the DAO (NRC-HAA). He has been designing and building astronomical instrumentation for the past 30 years and has worked on instruments for the Gemini telescope, Canada France Hawaii telescope, the Thirty meter telescope and James Webb Space Telescope. In addition he designed and aligned the optics in Canada’s own space telescope MOST. His most recent project is the GHOST spectrograph where he is the optical designer and project engineer for the bench spectrograph. He also has a minor planet named after him (427695), is a member of the RASC and IAU and is completing his Ph.D. in Astronomy at UVIC.