GTC dome: entering into manufacturing

The GTC Dome is entering into manufacture. Once the design has been frozen, it is time to expose the main features of the Dome and to exhibit the key aspects that will introduce an improvement on the GTC performance with respect to existing telescopes. The implementation of the natural ventilation for the telescope chamber, the use of an improved classical up-and-over shutter or the use of dome shell ventilation are described along the paper, as well as other features that have been laid-out to be absolutely ready to be `switch-on' after day one.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.