Simons Observatory
The Simons Observatory is located in the high Atacama Desert in Northern Chile inside the Chajnator Science Preserve, at an altitude of 5,200 meters (17,000 ft). The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and the Simons Array are located nearby and these experiments are currently making observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Their goals are to study how the universe began, what it is made of, and how it evolved to its current state. The Simons Observatory shares many of the same goals but aims to take advantage of advances in technology to make far more precise and diverse measurements. In addition, it is envisaged that many aspects of the Simons Observatory (optical designs, detector technologies and so on) will be pathfinders for the future CMB-S4 array.
The site of the future Simons Observatory, with the Simons Array, Atacama Cosmology Telescope and POLARBEAR. | |
| Alternative names | Observatorio Simons |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | Atacama Desert |
| Coordinates | 22°57′31″S 67°47′15″W |
| Altitude | 5,200 m (17,100 ft) |
| Wavelength | 27, 39, 93, 145, 225, 280 GHz (1.110, 0.769, 0.322, 0.207, 0.133, 0.107 cm) |
| First light | 2020 |
| Telescope style | cosmic microwave background experiment radio telescope |
| Number of telescopes | 4 |
| Diameter | 6, 0.5 m (19 ft 8 in, 1 ft 8 in) |
| Website | simonsobservatory |
Location of Simons Observatory | |
| Related media on Commons | |
The Simons Observatory has been made possible by a combined $40.1 million grant from the Simons Foundation and a number of participating universities. The Collaboration is large and multinational with over 250 scientists at over 35 institutions across the world.