LSST High Fire Event

The LSST primary/tertiary mirror experienced a successful High Fire over the weekend of March 28 & 29th, 2008, reaching a peak temperature of approximately 1165ºC (2125ºF) (Click here for a video taken inside the oven at highfire). This event is the critical first step in fabricating the key optical components of LSST, a unique wide-field survey telescope expected to see first-light in 2014 from Cerro Pachón, Chile. The LSST mirror will now anneal and cool gradually to room temperature over the next 100 days in the slowly rotating oven of the UA Steward Observatory Mirror Lab, and will be removed for grinding and polishing in mid-August. More images are to be added as time allows.

Mirror Lab Director Roger Angel, The National Science Board's Steven Beering, LSST Director Tony Tyson, Purdue Physicist Ian Shipsey, University of Chicago Cosmologist Rocky Kolb and LSST Project Manager Don Sweeney pose in front of the spinning oven in which the LSST primary mirror is being cast.
(Image credit: David Harvey for the LSST Corporation)

Charles Simonyi talks about his experience as a space tourist at the event dinner. In the foreground is a scale model of the LSST telescope, a gift to Mr. Simonyi in appreciation of his fund's generous contribution to the project.
(Image credit: Oskar Holm for the LSST Corporation)

At a tent outside the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab, volunteers helped guests and provided LSST branded T-shirts and water bottles.
(Image credit : David Harvey for the LSST Corporation)

Purdue Physicist Ian Shipsey, The National Science Board's Steven Beering, LSST Director Tony Tyson and LSST Project Manager Don Sweeney pose in front of a life size graphic of the LSST camera.
(Image credit: Oskar Holm for the LSST Corporation)

George Helou and LSST system engineer Chuck Claver pose in front a life size graphic of the LSST camera.
(Image credit: Oskar Holm for the LSST Corporation)

Steward Observatory Director Peter Strittmatter addresses the event guests over lunch at the Flandrau Science Center.
(Image credit Oskar Holm for the LSST Corporation)

Dinner music was provided by 8 harpist of the University of Arizona's HarpFusion ensemble.
(Image credit: Oskar Holm for the LSST Corporation)

(Image credit: David Harvey for the LSST Corporation)

Steward Observatory Mirror Lab Director Roger Angel discusses telescopes with Charles Simonyi on the polishing floor.
(Image credit : Bruce Balick for the LSST Corporation)

A group of guests observe a mirror being polished.
(Image credit : David Harvey for the LSST Corporation)

Don Mcarthy shows a group of Tucson Area Physics Teachers around the Mirror Lab.
(Image credit: David Harvey for the LSST Corporation)

Comet hunter and Author David Levy with wife Wendee at the polishing floor of the Steward Obervatories Mirror Lab.
(Image credit : David Harvey for the LSST Corporation)