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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2017
The spectral range redwards of about 7300 Angströms has up to now been rarely explored for any kind of object because of lack of adequate detectors. This situation is changing with the availability of silicon detectors whose response extends up to 1.1μ with reasonable quantum efficiency. We have used the ESO Reticon System behind the Boller and Chivens Spectrograph at the Cassegrain focus of the ESO 3.6m telescope to obtain spectra of several Supernova Remnants in the range 6000–10500 Å. The spectral resolution was 8 å and the dual array allowed a clear sky-subtraction, indispensable because of the presence of numerous atmospheric OH bands in this region. Data reduction was done with standard techniques using wavelength calibration, flat-field correction, response curve determination through observations of standard stars and extinction correction. We present below results based on the first spectra obtained for the Galactic remnants RCW 86, RCW 103 and Kepler SNR and the Magellanic Cloud ones N 49 and N 63A. The Crab Nebula will be discussed separately at the end.