New fibre-fed Echelle spectrograph and photometer on 1.5 m telescope at Tartu Observatory

Tartu Observatory's telescopes offer unique guaranteed access to objects in the Northern Hemisphere, facilitating long-term monitoring of various targets. Our largest 1.5 m instrument, has recently undergone significant upgrades, including the installation of a medium-resolution fibre-fed echelle spectrograph covering a bandwidth from 390 nm to 750 nm. This spectrograph offers flexibility with input options between two different fibre sizes, enabling retrieval of medium-resolution spectra.

Moreover, a custom-designed 4-channel instrument cube has been integrated, allowing for the attachment of two additional instruments to the telescope. Among these additions is a photometer equipped with Johnson-Cousins BVRI and Sloan g’r’i’z’ filters. These upgrades enhance our spectroscopic and photometric capabilities, particularly for studying celestial objects such as transits, exoplanet host stars, asteroids, and transients.

In our presentation, we will provide an update on the status of these projects, detailing the improvements made and the impact on our observational capabilities.