Below is a video showing the production of SDSS plug plates in the Physics Instrument Shop at The University of Washington. Plates are drilled, cleaned, and measured here before being shipped to APO. Once installed on the SDSS 2.5m telescope at APO, optical fibers carry light from each hole to the spectrograph being used. Every plate represents a patch of sky three degrees in diameter. The SDSS spectrograph allowed for 640 targets in this region, with the BOSS spectrograph that increased to 1000.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYyO7pGaJNw&w=560&h=315]

Videography and Editing by Gaelen Sayres and Mary Kawamura.

Music: Williamson – Hello Mr. Hoshi.

With thanks to Connor Sayres for sending us the video.