Case Study: Large Binocular Telescope Observatory improves telescope alignment and image quality with Hexagon ABSOLUTE MULTILINE

Hexagon’s ABSOLUTE MULTILINE system enhances vision of world’s largest infrared telescope

The Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBT) faced the significant challenge of maintaining a precise, micrometre-level alignment of its massive mirrors. Errors caused by gravity, thermal changes, and structural flexure were degrading image quality and were beyond the correction range of its wavefront sensors. Hexagon was selected to address this critical optical alignment problem.

Hexagon implemented its ABSOLUTE MULTILINE system, a laser-truss-based metrology network, to actively align the telescope's main optical components. The solution provided continuous, highly accurate distance measurements, allowing the primary mirrors to be adjusted and maintained within a few microns. This resulted in a dramatic improvement in image quality, solved long-standing performance issues, and greatly enhanced observational efficiency. The success at LBT has established Hexagon's technology as a benchmark, leading to its planned adoption for the new Giant Magellan Telescope and significant interest from other major observatories.

Large Binocular Telescope Observatory

Andrew Rakich

Metrology Designer