Capri solar telescope

On the isle of Capri, specifically at the settlement of Anacapri, a domeless solar telescope manufactured by Carl Zeiss (Oberkochen, West Germany) has been installed by the Fraunhofer Institute of Freiburg im Breisgau. The telescope is a Coudé reflector with a 35‐cm aperture and 445‐cm focal length. It has the form of a double tube with the two cylinders mechanically independent of each other. The inner cyclinder contains the optical components, and the outer provides protection from wind and weather. The domeless feature will permit use of the telescope at full theoretical capacity during the heat of the day. A dome acts as a heat trap and produces rising currents of shimmering air, which create an image‐distorting schlieren effect. In addition, the installation is mounted 30 feet above ground to allow free air circulation around it.