BlackGEM: the wide-field multi-band optical telescope array

Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes IX, pp. 66

Abstract

The BlackGEM array Phase I consists of three wide field, optical telescopes, located at the ESO La Silla Observatory, Chile. Each telescope is of a modified Dall-Kirkham design, using an 0.6m primary mirror and a 110 Mpix STA1600 CCD to give a 2.7 square degrees field-of-view sampled at 0.56"/pixel. Preliminary commissioning data shows performance on-par with design specifications. Data obtained with the BlackGEM prototype MeerLICHT highlights the capabilities of the design with a 5-sigma limiting magnitude of mAB=22.2 in 300s of integration under dark-sky conditions. Extrapolation to the 1" seeing-conditions expected at La Silla shows that the main goal of BlackGEM to probe down to mAB=23 in 300s can be met. The project suffered a 2-year COVID-19 delay. Commissioning of the array has currently been resumed and science operations are expected to start in Q3/Q4 of 2022. The science programs include the follow-up of gravitational wave alerts from LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA, a six-filter Southern Sky Survey, a Fast Synoptic Survey on selected fields, a Local Universe intra-night monitoring program and a inter-night single-band monitoring for slower transients.

Authors 24

1. P. Groot

   Radboud University Nijmegen · University of Cape Town · South African Astronomical Observatory

   Affiliation as printed

   Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

   South African Astronomical Observatory (South Africa)

   Univ. of Cape Town (South Africa)

2. S. Bloemen

   Radboud University Nijmegen

   Affiliation as printed

   Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

3. Paul M. Vreeswijk

   Radboud University Nijmegen

   Affiliation as printed

   Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

4. Peter Gustaaf Jonker Aachen Space Research Organisation of the Netherlands

   Radboud University Nijmegen · Space Research Organisation Netherlands

   Affiliation as printed

   Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

   Space Research Organisation of the Netherlands (Netherlands)

5. D. L. A. Pieterse

   Radboud University Nijmegen

   Affiliation as printed

   Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

6. Arno Engels

   Radboud University Nijmegen

   Affiliation as printed

   Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

7. Jeroen Michiels

   Radboud University Nijmegen

   Affiliation as printed

   Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

8. Roy Bakker

   Radboud University Nijmegen

   Affiliation as printed

   Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

9. Floris Hahn

   Radboud University Nijmegen

   Affiliation as printed

   Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

10. Gert Raskin

    KU Leuven

    Affiliation as printed

    KU Leuven (Belgium)

11. Johan Morren

    KU Leuven

    Affiliation as printed

    KU Leuven (Belgium)

12. Ramón Navarro

    Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    ASTRON (Netherlands)

13. Eddy Elswijk

    Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    ASTRON (Netherlands)

14. Rik ter Horst

    Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    ASTRON (Netherlands)

15. Menno Schuil

    Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    ASTRON (Netherlands)

16. Jan Kragt

    Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    ASTRON (Netherlands)

17. Dirk Lesman

    Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    ASTRON (Netherlands)

18. Menno de Haan

    Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    ASTRON (Netherlands)

19. M. E. Bekema Aachen Space Research Organisation of the Netherlands

    Space Research Organisation Netherlands · Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    ASTRON (Netherlands)

    Space Research Organisation of the Netherlands (Netherlands)

20. R. de Haan Aachen Space Research Organisation of the Netherlands

    Space Research Organisation Netherlands · Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    ASTRON (Netherlands)

    Space Research Organisation of the Netherlands (Netherlands)

21. Marc Klein‐Wolt

    Radboud University Nijmegen

    Affiliation as printed

    Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

22. N. Blagorodnova

    Radboud University Nijmegen

    Affiliation as printed

    Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

23. C. Johnston

    Radboud University Nijmegen

    Affiliation as printed

    Radboud Univ. (Netherlands)

24. Rudolf Le Poole Aachen Leiden Univ. (Netherlands)

    Leiden University

    Affiliation as printed

    Leiden Univ. (Netherlands)