Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer
LBTI on Mt. Graham
NExScI provides the solicitation and selection and data archiving for the NASA portion of time on the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI) instrument, mounted on the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). The LBT is composed of two 8.4m telescopes in a binocular mount, and separated by 14.4 m (center-to-center). The interferometer modes include Nulling at N-band (8-14 microns) and Fizeau imaging at L and M-bands (3-5 microns).
The LBTI is currently under commissioning. Science operations are expected to begin in Fall 2012, starting with the execution of a Key Science program to determine exo-zodi dust levels are nearby Sun-like stars, in support of a future mission to directly detect and spectroscopically characterize exo-Earths.
LBTI