The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE; formerly ngCFHT) will be a large format wide field spectroscopic facility that replaces the existing 3.6 m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Capable of recording tens of thousands of spectra on faint targets each night, and sustain that pace for years, MSE will be an ideal complement to emerging space- and ground-based imaging survey facilities. The combination of aperture, spectral resolution, and dedicated access to support large surveys makes MSE distinct from any other facilities under development or being planned. We provide an overview of the MSE technical design, organization of the project office, and the core science goals that will help drive MSE for decades.

Date Published: 22 July 2014
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 9145, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes V, 914515 (22 July 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2056389

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9145:
Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes V
Larry M. Stepp; Roberto Gilmozzi; Helen J. Hall, Editor(s)