Fibre multi-object spectrograph

Fibre multi-object spectrograph (FMOS) is facility instrument for the Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The instrument consists of a complex fibre-optic positioning system mounted at the prime focus of the telescope. Fibres are then fed to a pair of large spectrographs, each weighing nearly 3000 kg. The instrument will be used to look at the light from up to 400 stars or galaxies simultaneously over a field of view of 30 arcminutes (about the size of the full moon on the sky). The instrument will be used for a number of key programmes, including galaxy formation and evolution and dark energy via a measurement of the rate at which the universe is expanding.