Re-aluminizing the Palomar 200" mirror

[jcims]

I know this video is 5 years old and I could get this info somewhere else, so for that, i apologize. I'm assuming that is a vacuum deposition system? Do you have to polish/normalize the mirror after that process or is it ready to go out of the oven?

[superbiakugan]

Al encuentro con dios otra vez!

[pauloferreira42]

GOSTO MUITO DE ASTRONOMIA!!!!

MÁS ESTE VIDEO É MUITO DEMORADO E POUCO EXPLICATIVO PARA NÓS MEROS MORTAIS!!!!!UM PENA!!

[Vartanian1976]

Прикольненько

[Vartanian1976]

Прикольненько :)

[azzy314159]

Mankinds eye into the vastness of space. Glad to have lived and seen the images it captured.

Azzy

[balzerbarn]

The mirror's inner structure is very impressive, after removing the coating.

Well done, outstanding upload.

[DanFrederiksen]

good size mirror : )

must be possible to make it much lighter than that though and still as rigid

[pdutube]

I'd be too nervous to breath around the mirror let alone realuminize it!

[kwanyx]

Is silver better (more reflective) than aluminum? Is aluminum used due to cost of silver?

Comment: I'm a fan of science. It's disheartening for gov & institution to cut funding to science. It's great that you are "letting us in" on what you do. In fact, I think videos like this should be part of your mission. If not, 'common folks' will see you people in your 'ivory towers' & 'disconnected from reality'.

[lexichronicle2]

@kwanyx "s silver better (more reflective) than aluminum? Is aluminum used due to cost of silver?"

Silver also oxidises and of coarse costs quite a bit more. The only other option would be something like one of the platinum metals, and that would cost an absolute fortune. It's probably cheaper to just give it a bath and some new aluminium every year to year and half than it would be to do the platinum once.

[pmgodfrey]

Watching it was pretty neat, but I would love to have been there.

[palomarskyguy]

Yes, all of the work is done in the dome, by the Palomar staff.

[rktman1965]

thats a pretty big mirror , tell me that the recoats are done in house , otherwise transport must be a b&*tch

[CelticReject]

When the aliminium is taken off the mirror it actually looks like an eye!

[stulogic]

Superb timelaps Palomarskyguy, thanks for sharing it with us, and Tfoot. Great choice of music too!

How thick is the coating, I'm guessing a fraction of a micron?

[TheRedneckAtheist]

I would like to why this procedure is necessary, the only thing that comes to mind is oxidation.

Awesome video, it shows unedumecated rednecks like me that science is hard freakin' work.

[palomarskyguy]

The mirror simply gets dirty from use over 300 nights per year. Also, a little bit of moisture and the wrong kind of dirt can form a mild acid which etches off the thin coating of aluminum.

[TheRedneckAtheist]

Thanks!

Another question...

How thick is the coating?

[calebp9503]

@TheRedneckAtheist yup, its all about attention to detail ...

[LTDcunuk]

very cool. thanks for allowing T F00t to use your footage

[FeineMresse]

Great footage..

I never would have thought I´d be able to see something like that. I mean seriously.. when do you get the chance to take a look on the insides of such a piece of technology.

Thanks for showing it to Thunderf00t and greetings from Germany!

[spyderwalk]

Thanks for this, and thanks for showing TF00T around! :)

[DaUnd3rmindzz]

That was 5/5

also thanks for showing Thunderf00t around.

[sdpgposd]

indeed :)

[tomaselvis]

Great!

[320iguy]

yeah, I'm a Thunder junkie coming by to see the hub bub, i like he stuff you showed Tf00t. Thank you for your time brother.

[prodigyat9]

If you check your comments, how often is the mirror re-aluminized like this?

[palomarskyguy]

Every 18 - 24 months or so.

[playgrrrr]

awesome

[thebeardedone]

Great vid with great music.

Thanks for showing Thunderf00t around.

5/5

[AnimaRaptor]

Hey, directed here from TF's video. You'll probably get a lot like me, hope it doesn't annoy you. Just checking out any other vids you may have on this topic. :)

[aExoBecko]

Super Excellent Video

Many thanks.

[davek12]

I would love to see some of that stuff in person.

[ahlberto]

i want a scope like this for chrismas

[geonerd]

Cool!

Why all the cleaning and wiping after the old Al . is stripped?

[spaceblanket]

C'est fantastique ... Tnxs !!!

[foreilly1958]

Great time lapse video of a very important procedure. Cleaning the mirror is always the most time consuming portion in aluminizing.

[eddiequest2]

Gustave Holst - good addition to the video. I would like to see the actual aluminizing - the gradual increase in reflectivity.

Overall - this was a well made video.

[lvpx99]

cavolo!! devo farlo anche sul mio.... chissà se viene tutta la squadra!!!

[applecounty]

Remarkable.