But what could it possibly see? The MTM-500 Maksutov telescope stands before us. It whispers tales of cosmic dust storms and faint, distant stars. This telescope is not merely metal and glass. It is a window into the universe.
The MTM-500 was built in 1950 at the Leningrad Optical and Mechanical Association LOMO. It marked a significant advancement in astronomical observation technology. This 50-cm Maksutov telescope quickly became a workhorse for Soviet astronomers.
In 1963, high-sensitive television equipment was added. It allowed the MTM-500 to see deeper into space. Just a year later, A.N. Abramenko and others achieved a remarkable feat. They recorded stars up to magnitude 20. This happened during a 4-second exposition. It was a record at the time.
The MTM-500 enabled astronomers to study variable stars. V.V. Prokofjeva and V.P. Yepishev acquired the entire light curve of the eclipsing variable star 442 Cas in 1969. This star had an amplitude of more than 3.5 magnitude. That is an impressive achievement.
A.N. Abramenko designed a device for very short exposures. In 1970, the MTM-500 captured photographs of the pulsar in the Crab Nebula. These images were taken with 2-ms exposures in 16 phases. The pulsation period was equal to 32 ms. This revealed new details about these rapidly rotating neutron stars.
The MTM-500 was instrumental in observing Mars. During three oppositions of Mars, about 100000 photographs of the planet were taken. These were in 4 and 10 spectral bands. This made it possible to observe Martian clouds. In 1971, A.N. Abramenko and M.N. Naugolnaya pioneered observations of the beginning of a massive dust storm on Mars.
V.V. Prokofjeva analyzed the TV observations of Mars. She understood the authentic nature of the phenomenon of “blue cleaning” on Mars. She also suggested the hypothesis about increasing dust in the Martian atmosphere. The experience was summed up in the monograph “Television astronomy”. It was edited by V.B. Nikonov.
In 1982, the telescope was equipped with a digital TV complex. It used an isocon as an amplifier. A 20-cm meniscus telescope was mounted as a guide. It was possible to see on the monitor screen images of stars up to 15th magnitude. This was in the field 50’x50′. Up to 20th magnitude was visible at the MTM-500 with a field 10’x10′. Astronomers used these images for identification and manual guiding of faint objects.
With a 75-second exposition, it was possible to measure brightness of stars up to 14th magnitude. This could be done in the B, V or R Johnson filters with an accuracy of 1.0-1.5%. For stars up to 18th magnitude the accuracy was about 10-15%. Simultaneous observations of objects up to 15th magnitude in the BVR bands were carried out. The original slitless spectrograph enabled obtaining absolute energy distribution of the point sources. This was possible up to 14th magnitude. It had a spectral resolution of 60 A and 40 A and an exposure time of several minutes. The telescope was used for observations of faint stars, asteroids, comets and other objects.
Photometric observations led to the discovery of asteroids. V.V. Prokofjeva and D.I. Demchik discovered 87 Sylvia. V.V. Prokofjeva and L.G. Karachkina discovered 423 Diotima. In 1994, spectral television surveillance by V.V. Prokofjeva and V.P. Tarashchuk detected high-speed sodium clouds in Jupiter’s magnetosphere before the collision with a fragment Q of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet.
Long-term spectrophotometric observations of asteroids were performed. This was with a digital television complex MTM-500C. The MTM-500 was modernized to accurately guide asteroids. New techniques were developed for obtaining spectra of asteroids with brightness from 7m to 12m. These allowed for accurate relative intensity measurements of about 1% with 0.5-6-minute exposure and spectral resolution of 60 A or 40 A. Over five years, more than 3500 spectra of E-, S-, M- asteroids were acquired.
In 2014, a CCD camera with a set of UBVRI filters was mounted. Systematic observations of exoplanet transits were then started. The MTM-500 continues to contribute to our understanding of the universe.
Standing here, we are connected to decades of astronomical discovery. The MTM-500 telescope is still watching the skies and uncovering the secrets of the cosmos. Take a moment to appreciate the legacy of this remarkable instrument.