Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope
The Cerro Chajnantor Atacama Telescope (CCAT) is a proposed 25 metres (82 ft) diameter telescope that is intended to reveal the cosmic origins of stars, planets, and galaxies with its submillimeter cameras and spectrometers enabled by superconducting detector arrays. The telescope was originally called the Cornell Caltech Atacama Telescope, but due to lack of funding the 25 metre telescope is currently on hold.
Concept image of proposed Cerro Chajnantor Atacama Telescope (CCAT) | |
| Alternative names | Cerro Chajnantor Atacama Telescope |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | Purico Complex, El Loa, Antofagasta Region, Chile |
| Coordinates | 22°59′09″S 67°44′25″W |
| Altitude | 5,612 m (18,412 ft) |
| First light | 2023 |
| Telescope style | radio telescope |
| Diameter | 6 m (19 ft 8 in) |
| Website | www |
Location of Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope | |
| Related media on Commons | |
The collaboration is building a smaller 6 metres (20 ft) diameter submillimeter/millimeter telescope, CCAT-prime, as a first step before pursuing the 25 metre CCAT at some (unknown) time in the future. CCAT-prime is based on a high optical throughput Crossed Dragone optical design, and the Simons Observatory large aperture telescope uses the same optical design. CCAT-prime will be located at the same site and share similar mission as the full sized CCAT, but naturally with reduced angular resolution compared to the 25 metre CCAT.
On September 14, 2020, the CCAT-prime telescope was renamed to be the Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope (FYST) after Fred Young, a Cornell alumnus who has supported the telescope for about two decades with over US$16 million.