The W. M. Keck Observatory is gearing up for one of its biggest upgrades yet: a new Adaptive Secondary Mirror (ASM) powered by TNO’s patented Hybrid Variable Reluctance (HVR) technology.
This advanced system will sharpen Keck’s cosmic view, helping astronomers cut through Earth’s atmosphere and get close to the clarity you’d expect from space telescopes like Hubble or the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
A New Era for Keck’s Vision on Maunakea
High atop Maunakea in Hawaiʻi, the twin 10-meter Keck telescopes already rank among the world’s most powerful optical and infrared observatories.
With the new ASM, they’re set to make a big jump in image quality, sensitivity, and overall observing power.
This upgrade comes from a collaboration between TNO, the W. M. Keck Observatory, the University of California, Caltech, NASA, and the University of Hawaiʻi.
These partners are blending advanced engineering with scientific drive to keep Keck at the cutting edge of discovery.
What Is an Adaptive Secondary Mirror?
An Adaptive Secondary Mirror is a thin, super-responsive mirror that sits in the telescope’s optical path and can change shape thousands of times per second.
It fixes, in real time, the blurring caused by Earth’s atmosphere—what astronomers call atmospheric turbulence.
Unlike traditional adaptive optics, which add extra optics further down the line, an ASM makes these corrections right at the secondary mirror itself.
This approach streamlines the system, cuts down the number of optical surfaces, and boosts the telescope’s sensitivity.
TNO’s Hybrid Variable Reluctance Technology
The core of this upgrade is TNO’s patented Hybrid Variable Reluctance (HVR) technology.
TNO has a solid history in adaptive optics, having developed systems for Europe’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT).
HVR technology uses a complex electromagnetic actuation system that controls the mirror’s shape with incredible precision.
This method brings a mix of speed, stability, and reliability—exactly what’s needed for pushing the limits of astronomical observation.
From Infrared to Visible Light
The ASM will first focus on infrared observations, where adaptive optics has already changed the game for ground-based astronomy.
Over time, the team hopes to stretch these capabilities into the visible range, which requires even tighter control of the mirror.
If Keck can reach diffraction-limited performance in visible light from the ground, it’ll produce images as sharp as, or sometimes even better than, those from space telescopes.
Transforming Keck’s Scientific Capabilities
Right now, Keck’s twin telescopes support a wide range of tools—imagers, multi-object and high-res spectrographs, integral-field spectrographs, and laser guide star adaptive optics systems.
The new ASM is set to boost all these instruments at once.
Antonin Bouchez, who heads up Adaptive Optics Development at Keck, has pointed out that this upgrade isn’t just for one experiment or camera.
It’s going to enhance the scientific punch of all existing and future Keck I instruments, making the observatory more versatile than ever.
Science Targets: From Exoplanets to Black Holes
Sharper, steadier images and better sensitivity will let the ASM unlock new views of all sorts of cosmic phenomena:
Keck’s ability to approach space-telescope quality from the ground means it can complement and extend discoveries from Hubble and JWST, offering long-term monitoring and flexible follow-up when needed.
More Time on Sky, Less Waiting on Weather
Even on Maunakea, astronomers often have to wait for the atmosphere to settle before they can do the most demanding science.
The new ASM will help Keck break free from these rare moments of perfect seeing.
By correcting atmospheric distortions more effectively and across a wider range of conditions, the ASM will boost observing efficiency and get more science out of every night on the mountain.
Securing Keck’s Future Leadership
This upgrade isn’t just a technical enhancement. It’s a strategic investment in the future of ground-based astronomy.
TNO brings experience from major European telescopes. Their institutional partners add even more expertise.
Keck wants to stay a premier facility for decades to come. That’s the goal here, really.
Every time new questions pop up about how galaxies form or what’s going on with black holes, Keck aims to be ready.
The Adaptive Secondary Mirror will help with that. It’ll deliver sharper views and deeper insights from Maunakea’s summit.
Who knows what discoveries are waiting? Keck plans to keep leading the way.
Here is the source article for this story: TNO Labs to design Keck Observatory’s adaptive secondary mirror