Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is a scientific research instrument for conducting spectrographic astronomical surveys of distant galaxies. Its main components are a focal plane containing 5,000 fiber-positioning robots, and a bank of spectrographs which are fed by the fibers. The instrument enables an experiment to probe the expansion history of the universe and the mysterious physics of dark energy. The main DESI survey started in May 2021. DESI sits at an elevation of 6,880 feet (2,100 m), where it has been retrofitted onto the Mayall Telescope on top of Kitt Peak in the Sonoran Desert, which is located 55 miles (89 km) from Tucson, Arizona, US.
DESI installed on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory | |
| Alternative names | DESI |
|---|---|
| Part of | Kitt Peak National Observatory Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope |
| Location(s) | Kitt Peak, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 31°57′51″N 111°36′00″W |
| Organization | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |
| Altitude | 2,100 m (6,900 ft) |
| Wavelength | 360 nm (830 THz)–980 nm (310 THz) |
| Built | 2015– |
| First light | 2019 |
| Telescope style | scientific instrument spectrometer |
| Website | desi |
Location of Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument | |
| Related media on Commons | |
The instrument is operated by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory under funding from the US Department of Energy's Office of Science. Construction of the instrument was principally funded by the US Department of Energy's Office of Science, and by other numerous sources including the US National Science Foundation, the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, France's Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, Mexico's National Council of Science and Technology, Spain's Ministry of Science and Innovation, by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, by the Heising-Simons Foundation, and by collaborating institutions worldwide.