<title>Instrumentation plans at Keck Observatory</title>

Abstract

We briefly review the existing instruments at the first Keck telescope and their performance characteristics. These include the high resolution echelle spectrograph (HIRES), the low resolution imaging spectrograph (LRIS), and the near infrared camera (NIRC). Other Keck 1 instruments include the long wavelength spectrograph (LWS) and long wavelength imaging camera (LWIRC). The instruments currently being developed for the second Keck telescope are described and their expected performance characteristics are described. These include the deep imaging multi-object spectrograph (DEIMOS), the near infrared echelle spectrograph (NIRSPEC), the echelle spectrograph and imager (ESI), the diffraction limited near infrared camera (NIRC-2), and the ultraviolet side of the LRIS (LRIS-B). Keck 2 will also have a major new facility, an adaptive optics (AO) system. This system will deliver diffraction limited images in the 1 - 5 micron region and will be used in front of the NIRC-2. This AO system will contain a laser to generate an artificial sodium star, thus giving AO essentially full sky coverage. The AO system design and status is summarized. Keck Observatory is also planning an interferometer using the Keck 1 and Keck 2 telescopes, with a baseline of 85 m. We describe the plans and progress on this adaptive optics augmented infrared interferometer.