High Resolution Spectroscopy with Michelle on UKIRT

Michelle is a 7 to 25 μm imager and spectrometer built by the UKATC for operation on the UKIRT (3.8m) and Gemini-North (8m) telescopes on Mauna Kea. Its spectroscopic capability is provided by a long-slit spectrometer. We illustrate Michelle’s performance at high spectral resolutions with observations that were taken using the echelle during its first year of operations on UKIRT. These include the detection of water vapour absorption features in the atmosphere of the bright M star β Pegasi.