Next Generation Optical Spectrograph AAS 195th Meeting, January 2000 Session 87. Implementation of new technologies will enhance its performance. We present the results of such a study in our poster. The signal to noise ratio was computed assuming an optimal extraction algorithm for a range of target brightness to sky background ratios. A slit width 1.4 times the full width at half maximum of the seeing profile is the optimal slit for unresolved targets that are at or fainter than the background sky.
Smaller slits reject too much of the target light while larger slits let in too much background.
This research is supported by the Kitt Peak National Observatory site program of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, funded by the National Science Foundation.