Mauna Loa Solar Observatory

Instruments

Current instruments

• The Coronal Multi-channel Polarimeter monitors the magnetic field in the corona by recording the strength and polarization of light received from corona.
• The K-cor coronagraph is the 5 generation instrument to produces polarization maps of the corona observed in white light.

  Former instruments

• The Precision Solar Photometric Telescope produces highly accurate images of the photosphere at five different wavelengths.
• The Mark-IV K-Coronameter produces polarization maps of the corona observed in white light.
• The Advanced Coronal Observing System is a set of instruments for monitoring the chromosphere on a shared mount.
• The Coronado Solarmax 60 is a small refractor built by Meade Instruments which provides H-alpha disk and limb images.
• Chromospheric Helium-I Imaging Photometer observes at a wavelength which is an emission line for non-ionized helium in order to monitor the chromosphere.
• The Polarimeter for Inner Coronal Studies produced H-alpha disk and limb digital images from 1994 to 1997. It was replaced by the CS60.
• The Digital Prominence Monitor produced H-alpha disk and limb digital images from 1994 to 1997. It was replaced by the PICS.
• The Prominence Monitor produced H-alpha disk and limb images on film from 1980 to 1994. It was replaced by the DPM.
• The Mark-III K-Coronameter operated from 1980 to 1998, and was replaced by the MK4.
• The Mark-II K-Coronameter, named the Coronal Activity Monitor, operated from 1968 to 1980. It was developed specifically for study of minute-to-minute transient coronal phenomena.
• The Mark-I K-Coronameter was brought over from Haleakala in 1965, and operated on Mauna Loa until 1968.

  Non-MLSO instruments

• The Array for Microwave Background Anisotropy is a radio telescope array designed to observe the cosmic microwave background and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. It consists of seven receivers on a hexapod mount.
• The Global Oscillations Network Group has deployed an observing station to study helioseismology.
• The Variable Young Stellar Object Survey is a project to monitor young stars and star-forming regions. It consists of a refractor and a reflector in separate domes.