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Southern African Large Telescope

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Ground-based Telescope Name
File:South African Large Telescope.outside view.jpg
Computer model of SALT's external appearance.
OrganizationNational Research Foundation of South Africa
LocationKaroo, South Africa
Wavelength regimeoptical
Completion date2005
Webpagehttp://www.salt.ac.za/
Physical characteristics
Telescope stylereflector
Diameter11m
Collecting area~95m
Focal length(m, ft)
Mounting45 ton steel structure
Dome25m spherical

The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) is an 11 metre (36 feet) diameter optical telescope, located in the semi-desert region of the Karoo, South Africa. It is a facility of the South African Astronomical Observatory, the national optical observatory of South Africa.

SALT is the biggest telescope in the southern hemisphere, and equal to the largest in the world. It will enable photography and analysis of the radiation from astronomical objects out of reach of northern hemisphere telescopes.

First light with the full mirror was achieved on 1 September 2005 with 1 arc second resolution images of globular cluster 47 Tucanae, open cluster NGC6152, spiral galaxy NGC6744, and the Lagoon Nebula being obtained. The official opening by President Thabo Mbeki took place on 10 November 2005.

The telescope has cost roughly $20 million USD, which is within the budget that was originally set out in 1998. South Africa government contributed $10 million USD and the rest donated by the other partners. Germany, Poland, the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand are partners in the project.

General information

SALT has been built on a hilltop in a nature reserve, 370 km (230 miles) northeast of Cape Town, near the small town of Sutherland. In March 2004, installation of the massive mirror began. The last of the 91 smaller mirrored hexagon segments was put in place in May 2005.

Korea and Japan have telescopes at the site and South Africa has at least five optical telescopes there. The University of Birmingham has a solar telescope to help monitor the Sun around the clock.

SALT will probe quasars and enable scientists to view stars and galaxies a billion times too faint to be seen by the naked eye.

Partners

  • SALT - official site.

See also

References

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