The Largest Russian Optical Telescope BTA: Current Status and Modernization Prospects

TL;DR

This paper reviews the current status, scientific capabilities, ongoing upgrades, and future prospects of Russia's 6-meter BTA optical telescope, emphasizing its role in global and Russian astronomy after 45 years of operation.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the BTA telescope's current operations, development projects, and modernization plans, highlighting efforts to attract new users and enhance scientific output.

Findings

BTA has been operational for nearly 45 years.

Ongoing projects aim to upgrade scientific equipment.

The observatory plans to attract new users and modernize facilities.

Abstract

The Russian 6-m telescope (BTA), once the largest telescope in the world and now the largest optical telescope in Russia, has been successfully operating for almost 45 years. In this paper we briefly overview the observing methods the facility can currently provide, the ongoing projects on the development of scientific equipment, the status of the telescope among the world's and Russian astronomical communities, our ambitions to attract new users, and the prospects the observatory wishes to realize in the near future.