Abstract
We report on the design status of the Canarias InfraRed Camera Experiment (CIRCE), a near-infrared visitor instrument for the 10.4 meter Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). In addition to functioning as a 1-2.5 micron imager, CIRCE will have the capacity for narrow-band imaging, low- and moderate- resolution grism spectroscopy, and polarimetry. CIRCE's all-reflective aspheric optical design offers excellent throughput and image quality. We present an analysis of the optical layout, an overview of the software development and the progress of the opto- and cryo-mechanical design and manufacture.
