Eastern Anatolia Observatory (DAG): the status in 2022, towards the first light

Abstract

East Anatolian Observatory's DAG telescope, with its 4m diameter primary mirror and VIS/IR observation capability, Eastern Anatolian Observatory's 4m diameter class DAG telescope, with VIS/IR observation capability, will be located on the Konakll-Karaya summit at an altitude of 3170 m, near the city of Erzurum, Turkey. DAG contains both active optics (aO) and adaptive optics (AO) systems. With the enclosure assembly nearly done, and the dummy mirror integration including the M1 cell integration performed at the end of 2021; DAG telescope's AIV is planned to take place by the end of May/2022 and the Provisional Acceptance by November/2022. DAG is equipped with an in-flange derotator-KORAY (K-mirror Optical RelAY) that will direct the light to the seeing limited Nasmyth platform containing TROIA (TuRkish adaptive Optics system for Infrared Astronomy). The scientific instruments that DAG will receive in 2022, are but not limited to, a stellar coronagraph and a 30"NIR diffraction limited camera. In his paper, a global status update and expected optical performance characteristics will be presented.