Astronomy

Observation of the stars – research into their origin, evolution, physical and chemical properties – cannot be carried out without state-of-the-art instrumentation.

Telescopes have been in use since the 17th century, collecting, recording and analyzing visible light and invisible radiation from celestial objects (stars, planets, galaxies, etc.). As astronomy is a science of observation and not experimentation, it relies on technological developments in the instruments dedicated to its study.

Bertin Winlight, has been active in the astronomy market for over 30 years, and its recognized expertise in instrumentation dedicated to large scientific instruments has enabled it to participate in numerous renowned projects, in partnership with national and international universities and research institutes.

Bertin Winlight manufactures optical components and complex medium-sized sub-assemblies (from a few milimeters to 800 mm in diameter) for scientific observation instruments. The company designs and produces unique, tailored equipment such as image slicers, collimators, derotators and cameras, as well as complete spectrographs, enabling scientists to carry out the most ambitious research into the creation and evolution of the Universe.

Bertin Winlight has been involved in numerous ground-based projects for the VLT (Chile), the W. M. Keck Observatory (Hawaii, USA), the Canada-France-Hawaii Observatory CFHT (Hawaii, USA), the Subaru telescope for the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Hawaii, USA), the Mayall telescope for the Kitt Peat Observatory (Arizona, USA), the LBT large binocular telescope (Arizona, USA) or in space.

Bertin Winlight is also the world’s leading manufacturer of image slicers, with a proprietary technology developed, patented and owned jointly with the CNRS LAM (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Laboratoire Astrophysique de Marseille). This technology enables image slicers to be mass-produced, minimizing production costs and lead times, while guaranteeing optimum surface and edge quality.

Bertin Winlight supplies complete spectrographs (excluding scientific detectors) to specification or as part of consortium. Our experience enables us to produce mass-produced spectrographs to tight deadlines, while maintaining impeccable quality for each unit.

Finally, Bertin Winlight produces collimators, lenses (cameras) or derotators, bare or mounted in sub-systems for integration in astronomical observation telescopes.