Chimera: a high-speed three-color photometer for space surveillance and astronomy

High-speed optical photometry is characterizing man made satellites and space debris in Earth orbit. Commercially available Electron Multiplying CCD (EMCCD) imagers and cameras are driving a renaissance in this field, with several new instruments under development. The Steward Observatory Chimera Photometer provides simultaneous three-color photometry in the Sloan r’, i’, and z’ bands over a wide field of view. The design is optimized for the Steward Observatory Kuiper 1.58 m Telescope, although other telescopes can be supported with the exchange of the wide-field collimator. In this paper, the design and first light performance of the instrument is presented.